Council hopefuls try to outshine parties

Council hopefuls try to outshine parties

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Candidates of the newly established Regional Representatives
Council (DPD) must compete alongside the 24 political parties in
attracting people to attend their campaigns -- a difficult
mission, as they must organize their campaigns independently of
parties.

Their campaign strategy differs greatly, from using public
toilets as campaign vehicles to offering expensive meals at a
five-star hotel, to promising that they would stop the
transmigration of people from Java to other provinces, because
only transmigrants -- not locals -- benefited from the costly
program.

Taufiq Rachman, a DPD aspirant from Jakarta, distributed
stickers bearing his photograph and candidacy number to several
public toilets in Tanah Abang textile market, Central Jakarta,
and at an intersection in Cempaka Putih, also in Central Jakarta.

"One tends to neglect the fact that thousands of people use
public toilets each day. That is why I chose the facilities as a
vehicle to reach out to potential voters," Taufiq told The
Jakarta Post.

Taufiq is campaigning for the empowerment of street vendors
and small and medium enterprises.

To raise interest, his campaign team has prepared a lucky
draw, with a television or an electric fan in store for those
with the winning sticker.

Each of the country's 32 provinces will be represented by four
DPD members, who are elected directly by the voters. The 500
House of Representatives members are indirectly elected as in the
past, as voters select parties as well as a candidate. The
winning parties will choose their preferred legislators if no
single candidate wins a majority.

Pontjo Sutowo, another DPD candidate from Jakarta, managed to
lure a significant number of potential voters -- thanks primarily
to a luxurious campaign.

Pontjo gathered at least 500 supporters at a club at the five-
star Hilton Hotel -- which he owns -- and plied them with lavish
food and drinks.

Several TV soap opera actresses were also present.

In Padang, Anwar Ali Akbar vowed that he would demand that the
government stop the transmigration program from Java to other
islands, as the program had caused the country's disintegration.

"The government provided facilities to the transmigrants.
Local people, however, never received anything," he said.

In Banda Aceh, no DPD candidate put in a showing, although the
Martial Law administrator had provided all necessary facilities
for public campaigns.

In Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Dato Erdin Odang, a DPD
candidate, invited sexy dangdut singer Anissa Bahar to entertain
his potential voters. He himself did not talk much, saying that
people would not listen to him.

Meanwhile, the candidate made an appeal: "You must vote for
the best man."