Close to the final day of ballot counting, four candidates for

Close to the final day of ballot counting, four candidates for
the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) -- Mooryati Soedibyo,
Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Biem Triani Benyamin and Marwan Batubara
-- appear to have secured seats on it. The Jakarta Post talked to
some residents on what they expect from their future
representatives.

Krisanti, 32, is a teacher at a state elementary school in
Duren Tiga, South Jakarta. She lives in Serpong, Tangerang:

As DPD members I think their tasks won't be limited only to
problems faced by Jakartans, but cover wider issues concerning
people's welfare.

I think education is the most important issue they should
address at the Council, so that every province is forced to allot
more than 20 percent of its budget to providing free, compulsory
education for children.

Education is all we need to eradicate poverty, so that all of
us will be smart enough to create jobs and not just look for
them.

Uchok Sky Khadafi B, 30, is an activist with a non-
governmental organization dealing with budget accountability,
whose office is in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta. He lives in a
boarding house on Jl. Matraman, South Jakarta:

I hope that the four elected DPD members will really fight for
the interests of Jakarta people, who have entrusted them to be
their representatives.

I hope DPD members will make time to meet their constituents
as they did during their election campaigns. They must listen to
people's aspirations and complaints so that they have first-hand
information about what people are demanding.

As representatives of Jakarta people, they should address
serious social problems like the high incidence of crime,
poverty, unemployment and, particularly, eviction.

I think they should be able to stop the city administration
from evicting people, as thousands have been made homeless.
People would not regret electing them if they did some good.

--The Jakarta Post