Comedian Qomar to contest election

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post/Indramayu

Comedian-cum-legislator, Nurul Qomar, plans to enliven the direct Indramayu regional elections by running for the office of regent, a party official said on Friday.

Qomar, who is currently a legislator in the House of Representatives, planned to represent the Indramayu chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), local party secretary Ono Surono confirmed on Friday.

"He filled out the registration forms on Thursday and will vie with a number of figures ... for a place in the elections to be held in October," Ono said.

Before Qomar is selected for the PDI-P, he must compete with 10 other party candidates in a party congress, which would run for two whole months, from June to August, Ono said.

Four of the 10 candidates are PDI-P members; Supito Wirahadikusumah and Kuswanto, both current Indramayu regional councillors, and Kusnadi and Sutanto Asman, both former West Java provincial councillors.

The six others come from a range of backgrounds; Satori is the former Indramayu administration secretary; Edi Subaedi Bendot, the personal secretary of West Java's vice-governor; Hassanudin, a Bandung Regency Supervisory Board official; Eddy Rosadi, the district chief of Bantargebang, Bekasi; Lt. Col. Jamhari is from the Siliwangi Military Command III; and K.H. Dasuki Adnan is a noted Muslim cleric.

Ono said the candidates had begun registering on May 30 and the process would end on June 5.

Indramayu PDI-P organizer Yudi Wahyudi said the election law stipulated candidates must register themselves and could not appoint representatives.

Indramayu, Bandung, Karawang, Sukabumi and Depok will be the first regencies in West Java to hold direct elections for regional leaders this year.

Ono said he believed the PDI-P congress would be free from vote-buying this year.

"The process of politics definitely needs a lot of funds. However, the convention that we organize will not be made into an event that supports such behavior."

"The PDI-P is a major party, able to finance each of its interests with its own funds. So we emphasize that there will be no (vote buying) in the convention. If any of the candidates are found resorting to such a practice, we will certainly dismiss them," Ono said.