Candidates get serious on the foueth day
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Unlike the first three days of campaigning marked by frivolous jokes and dangdut contests, the fourth day on Sunday saw candidates for the newly established Regional Representatives Council (DPD) getting a bit more serious by setting out their platforms and vowing to bring about change for impoverished citizens.
In Jakarta, candidate Marwan Batubara started his first day of campaigning in Sumantri Brojonegoro Sports stadium in Kuningan, South Jakarta, emphasizing that it was crucial that there was an improvement in the standard of living for blue-collar workers.
"First and foremost, the basic minimum wage in Jakarta needs to be hiked," he told a cheering crowd consisting mostly of young men and women clad in Muslim attire.
The minimum wage for Jakarta is less than Rp 800,000 (US$90).
A former employee of state-owned telecommunication firm PT Indosat, Marwan also said dropped the bombshell that if he were elected as a DPD member, he would strive to take back all the company assets that have been sold to "foreigners" in the privatization drive over the last few years.
In mid-December 2002, the government sold a 41.9 percent stake in Indosat to Singapore Technologies Telemedia (STT).
"I resigned from my secure position at Indosat because I believe that a state company should not surrendered to foreigners," he argued.
In Yogyakarta, Subardi, one of the candidates for the special province, told hundreds of his supporters in Sayegan subdistrict, Sleman regency, that he would fight to maintaining the special administration status for the resource poor province.
"Yogyakarta must retain its privilege as a special region. However, it has to be within the confines of the Unitary State of Indonesia (NKRI)," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
The candidate also pledged to create more jobs should he be elected a council member.
The amended Constitution mandates the establishment of the DPD. Each of the country's 32 provinces will elect four council members. Along with the 550 members at the House of Representatives (DPR), who may not necessarily be directly elected, they will form the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
In the capital of Central Java, Semarang, Budi Santoso, a candidate from the province, and owner of the largest local newspaper Suara Merdeka , marked his first appearance in public by performing the usual campaign practice of distributing flyers bearing his face and number and putting up posters in a number of strategic spots in town.
Budi deployed his employees to distribute his campaign paraphernalia.
Despite his media empire, the tycoon, however, was still in need of a helping hand from a local public figure. Budi had solicited support from Ki Enthus Susmono, a renowned dalang (puppeteer) to help him deliver his campaign message.