Candidates exploit race during campaign

Candidates exploit race during campaign

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In this ethnically diverse country, the ideal of national unity
is an important way to peace. However, a little digging into
one's roots doesn't hurt either, especially for the aspiring
candidates in this city of migrants: Jakarta.

Singer Vivi Effendy appeals to her people's Betawi roots, the
native Jakartans who often feel marginalized; meanwhile, Hanan
Soeharto, of Chinese descent, has his face posted all over areas
where Chinese Indonesians are predominate; and the Batak language
of the banners promoting Poltak Situmorang, is only
understandable to those from his home province, North Sumatra.

They are among 38 aspiring candidates who contest the four
seats of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) representing
Jakarta province. Each of the country's 32 provinces will have
only four DPD members. Its powers will include recommending laws
to the legislature. DPD candidates are not party-based and the
body has no precedent in the nation's history, coming into
existence following the recently amended 1945 Constitution.

The 38 candidates for Jakarta include a considerable number of
the city's minorities -- 10 are Betawis and four are ethnically
Chinese.

The candidates asserted on Friday they would not provoke
sectarianism in garnering support. Ethnicity used to be shunned,
especially during the 32-year rule of Soeharto ending in 1998.

Vivi, a popular dangdut singer of the 1970s, said that she
only brought up her Betawi ethnicity in her campaign "because I
was born and raised here."

"Furthermore, Betawi people only account for 20 percent of the
capital's total population, which I think (by itself) would be
insufficient support for me," she said.
She said she had campaigned to residents from many ethnicities.

However, Vivi's 20 percent would mean 1.5 million people if
one goes by the official "night time" population figure of the
city minus the commuters. So Vivi would have reached out to a
fair share of the population when she addressed an applauding
audience, "For quite a long time the Betawi people have suffered
from (negative attitudes) of people from outside Jakarta. They
never really cared about us, the Betawis. We have become aliens
in our home."

Candidate Hanan Soeharto, a lawyer by training, said the large
number of ethnic Chinese in the capital was only one of many
reasons why he decided to run for the DPD.

"With a little helping hand from God, I could be elected as a
DPD member with a simple majority if all Chinese here cast their
votes for me," said Hanan.

In his campaign, Hanan has staged the Chinese traditional lion
dance, which was banned during the 32-rule of former president
Soeharto administration.

Hanan vowed that should he be elected, he would do his utmost
to end discrimination against the Chinese people. However, he was
quick to add, "I have also reached out to other ethnic and
religious groups, and disenfranchised citizens" such as victims
of eviction.

Poltak Situmorang, the candidate with a Batak background born
in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra, also insists he is running
not only to represent his own ethnic group.

When asked about whether he was taking into account the large
number of Batak people living in Jakarta, the 44-year-old
candidate raised his voice: "Your question is irrelevant to the
current social conditions. We should promote unity regardless of
our ethnicity."