City Council announces seven pairs of candidates
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The City Council's election committee shortlisted last Friday seven pairs of gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial candidates scheduled to take part in the final round of the election on Sept. 11.
Chairman of the Election Committee Muhammad Suwardi said the seven pairs of gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial candidates, including Sutiyoso and his deputy candidate Fauzi Bowo, were decided upon at the City Council meeting attended by council and faction leaders.
"The seven pairs of candidates will be officiated at the council's plenary session on Monday and then reported to the President via the home minister," Suwardi told the press after the meeting.
Incumbent Governor Sutiyoso appears the strongest candidate so far, being nominated by two major factions: the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Golkar faction, and a smaller party, the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) faction.
Two other potential candidates are Chairman of the Jakarta Chapter of PDI Perjuangan Tarmidi Suhardjo, who has been nominated by the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction and Edy Waluyo, nominated by the United Development Party (PPP) and the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) faction.
Tarmidi has been paired with PAN Secretary General Abdillah Toha, while Edy is paired with PPP member Ahmad Suaidy.
Sutiyoso received full support from eight councillors from the Golkar faction, and some 25 councillors from PDI Perjuangan faction. Tarmidi was supported by at least 17 councillors from PAN and PK factions, and five councillors from PDI Perjuangan.
PPP faction, which has 12 seats, and the Indonesian Military/ National Police faction, which has nine seats, will be decisive. If a candidate wins their support, they will be able to secure the majority votes of the City Council and be elected Jakarta governor for the 2002 to 2007 term.
The four other pairs are Marzuki Usman and Halim Ashari nominated by the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, Ahmad Heriyawan and Igo Ilham by the Justice Party (PK) faction, Mahfudz Djaelani and Dolly D. Siregar by the Unity Party (PP) faction, Endang Darmawan and Dadang Hamdani by the Indonesian Unity in Diversity Party (PBI) faction.
Sutiyoso's position has not been secured yet though, following the withdrawal of PPP's support because of Sutiyoso's decision to pair up with Fauzi and not City Council deputy chairman from PPP Chudlary Syafi'i. As a result, he might be unable to win the support of more than 50 percent of the total 85 councillors, as stipulated in the election's rules and regulations.
A minor incident occurred in the office of Golkar faction when 10 members of the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) insulted two councillors from Golkar -- Tadjus Sobirin and Mulyono Prawirodiredjo -- because they were disappointed the party did not nominate Tutty Alawiyah, a native Betawi person.
An FBR member insulted Tadjus and Mulyono by trying to place Rp 11,000 into their pockets, accusing them of practicing money politics by nominating Sutiyoso.
Thousands of demonstrators, mostly women have staged rallies in front of the City Council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih recently to express their support for Tutty Alawiyah, a Golkar member and former minister for the empowerment of women.