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.