Candidates sportsmanlike to the end
Candidates sportsmanlike to the end
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali
The moon was bright as though in anticipation of a favorable outcome, yet Peguyangan Palace was engulfed in an atmosphere of chilling defeat that Friday night.
A few hours earlier, the result of the ballot count had been announced. The incumbent mayor of Denpasar, Anak Agung Ngurah Puspayoga, scored a landslide victory of 69.3 percent of the vote, whereas, the lord of Peguyangan Palace, Anak Agung Ngurah Gde Widiada, could only garner a meager 25.4 percent in the election for the mayor of Denpasar.
The news of the defeat spread like wildfire across villages in Peguyangan, Widiada's traditional stronghold, and soon, group after group of locals flowed into the palace to show their sympathy for their traditional ruler.
In the palace's outer yard, saddened people huddled together in dark corners, speaking in whispers.
In the palace's inner yard, where Widiada was comforted by his relatives and close aides, a similar somber atmosphere could be felt. Yet, the sadness was soon dissipated by the aides' cheerful blame-everybody-but-yourself jokes and, most importantly, Widiada's optimistic acceptance of the defeat.
"We did everything we could (to win the election) but the people have spoken and we have to respect their wish," he said.
In spite of various flaws in the electoral process: the huge number of residents, including at least 500 of Widiada's supporters, who were eligible to vote but not included on the list of voters; and the substantial number -- almost 40 percent -- of registered voters who did not show up at polling stations, Widiada reassured the people the election had been fair.
"This is our first experience of a direct election at regional level so naturally there are some minor flaws. We should not let those minor flaws destroy this great democratic process or exploit them for our own short-term political interest," he stressed.
Thus, the defeated camp put on a small party. The food was simple; fried tempeh, spicy chicken and yellow rice. But the drinks were fabulous, bottle after bottle of Australian red wine courtesy of Widiada's biggest campaign donor, a soft-spoken Balinese businessman who managed to see the bright side of the defeat.
"The defeat provides us with a good, actually a perfect excuse, to get drunk before our spouses," he said.
A few kilometers to the south, in the urban housing area of Padangsambian, Widiada's running mate Suma Widana celebrated the defeat by instructing his die-hard supporters to prepare a sumptuous feast of traditional Balinese delicacies.
The equanimity displayed by Widiada and his running mate Suma Widana on that night played a pivotal part in defusing the political tension and, most importantly, the anger and disappointment felt by their supporters.
Many had feared that Widiada's defeat would spell trouble for the capital city. The fear was based on the fact that Suma Widana is a respected figure among Laskar Bali, arguably the most powerful group of trained fighters on Bali. In recent years, Laskar Bali has gained a fearsome reputation for its violent tendencies.
"Some of Laskar Bali's members wanted to express their disappointment over the election result by staging a street demonstration on that night but Suma Widana managed to prevent them from doing so," a source said.
"During the campaign we have repeatedly stated that we placed the interests of the city above our own, that we would not do anything that might destabilize the city. Now you can see for yourself that those are not empty promises," Suma Widana said.
On Saturday morning, the people of Denpasar woke up to a new mayor, with a sense of pride and relief.
"The election is over, the city is still safe and peaceful and we have shown Indonesia that a massive democratic process can be carried out in a peaceful manner. That's something to be proud of," the head of the Denpasar Elections Commission, Ray Misno, stressed.
Two days after the election, Widiada and Suma Widana gave the city another reason to be proud of their politicians. On that Monday evening, dressed in their finest traditional costumes, the two paid a visit to Puspayoga's residence in the Satria Palace, downtown Denpasar.
It was a meeting that began and ended with a friendly hug between the smiling Widiada and the equally joyful Puspayoga.
"Nothing is extraordinary in winning or losing a political election. The only thing extraordinary about this election is that we have succeed in maintaining the spirit of brotherhood between the participating candidates," Puspayoga said.
"We come here to congratulate Puspayoga upon his victory and to extend our support to him. We will work together to take the city into a brighter future," Widiada responded.
Widiada and Suma Widana may have lost the election but they have certainly won the battle against the cycle of violence that for decades has been an ugly, yet consistent, feature on the island's political landscape.