Council moves to make election appear democratic

Council moves to make election appear democratic

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In response to mounting criticism that it was being undemocratic,
the City Council finally decided on Wednesday to invite all 114
gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial candidates to a attend a
plenary session where they could present their visions and
missions to the councillors.

However, activists doubted that the session would affect the
stance of the council's 11 factions as they already had their own
candidates.

"I've received an invitation to attend the plenary session on
Thursday. But it's just a formality to make the election look
democratic," said lawyer and women's activist Nursyahbani
Katjasungkana, who had earlier registered herself as a vice
gubernatorial candidate.

She said that during the plenary session the candidates could
speak but would not be allocated a set period of time each to
address the councillors.

Carel T., from the Jakarta Residents' Forum (Fakta), who is
also registered as a vice gubernatorial candidate, shared
Nursyahbani's view, saying that he also doubted the councillors'
seriousness in holding the session.

The gubernatorial election regulation states that the
council's 11 factions can choose up to a maximum of 22 pairs of
candidates. The 22 pairs, according to the bylaw, could then be
invited to present their missions and visions for the city.

Activists had earlier deplored the council for not inviting
all the candidates, calling the election process nothing more
than a circus.

The election committee chairman M. Suwardi claimed on
Wednesday that the council intended to listen to all of the
candidates even though the regulation did not oblige it to do so.

"We hope that we can get to know the candidates better,"
Suwardi, who is also the council's deputy chairman and a
councillor from the National Mandate Party, told reporters.

However, the election, which is scheduled for Sept. 17, will
be decided by the city's 85 councillors. The largest faction on
the council, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan), which has 30 seats, already has its own candidate
for city governor: The incumbent, Sutiyoso.

The third largest party on the council, the United Development
Party (PPP), which has 12 seats, is reportedly also supporting
Sutiyoso, while the former ruling party, Golkar, which has eight
seats, nominated Sutiyoso as governor and the current city
secretary, Fauzi Bowo, as vice governor.