Artists fail to boost Wiranto's rally
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Medan/Palu/Yogyakarta
Beautiful starlets did their best to liven up the only open-air rally of presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto in the capital on Sunday, but the venue, the country's main sports stadium, was left half-empty. The 100,000-seat Bung Karno Sports Stadium was barely filled to half its capacity, despite appearances by celebrities such as singer/film star Sarah Azhari and singer Silvana Herman.
Gen. (ret) Fachrul Razi, deputy chairman of the Wiranto- Solahuddin Wahid campaign team, admitted that the campaign fell short of expectations. "The campaign is running well, but not optimally. We hope it will improve," he said.
Solahuddin was absent but colleagues from the National Awakening Party (PKB) such as Alwi Shihab showed support, as well as party leaders Akbar Tandjung of Golkar, Ryaas Rasyid of the United Democratic Nationhood Party (PDK) and Golkar campaign team chairman Slamet Effendi Yusuf.
PKB has officially endorsed Wiranto and Solahuddin, a noted cleric from the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, which forms the main basis of the party.
Apart from Wiranto, another presidential candidate, Vice President Hamzah Haz, also staged a rally with relatively fewer supporters compared with the party rallies during April's legislative election campaign. Some have attributed Jakarta's lack of enthusiasm partly to election fatigue.
On Sunday, some participants at Wiranto's rally acknowledged they did not need to spend money on transportation and meals, and got T-shirts free, too.
"I don't know if I'll get paid; a coordinator did list our names before we left on buses," said Budi, from East Cengkareng, West Jakarta.
Central Jakarta election supervisory committee official Dedi Suhardadi said organizers had committed an offense because many children were seen wearing symbols of the candidates. The involvement of children in campaigns is not permissible under campaign rules.
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri urged supporters in Bantul, Yogyakarta on Sunday to help them win in the July 5 election. Further competition in a runoff, expected in September should no candidate win a majority of the vote, would be energy-consuming, she said.
Earlier in the day, she visited Yogyakarta's Beringharjo market and chatted with farmers and fishermen "in her capacity as president," handlers said. She left Yogyakarta in the afternoon for similar activities in Madiun, East Java.
Also on Sunday, National Mandate Party (PAN) candidate Amien Rais and his running mate Siswono Yudohusodo greeted supporters in Medan, North Sumatra.
Thousands, including those from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), showed support. The PKS leadership has yet to disclose whether it will endorse Wiranto or Amien. Ikrimah Hamidy, chairman of the PKS Medan chapter, said that PKS members in Medan supported Amien and Siswono. Amien, a professor in international relations, also met nearly 1,000 teachers in Medan.
In Palu, Central Sulawesi, Jusuf Kalla, running mate of Democratic Party candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also campaigned on Sunday. He visited Manonda market and talked with traders, mostly of Bugis descent. Some vendors protested when Kalla supporters stamped on their produce. "You can meet Pak Kalla, but don't step on my tomatoes," a woman shouted.
Kalla then campaigned on air at public broadcasters TVRI television and RRI radio stations. Addressing a rally at the Vatulemo field, he said that being born in Sulawesi he knew best the conditions in Sulawesi and eastern Indonesia.
Agum Gumelar, the running mate of Hamzah Haz, visited Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Saturday and campaigned in the regency of Jeneponto, some 120 kilometers south of Makassar.
He declined a request to sign a contract with locals, but pledged that he would carry out his programs if elected. "Social contracts" are becoming popular in a number of areas as a last resort of citizens trying to ensure leaders fulfill promises made during campaigning.