'Councillors should stand by us'
The new Jakarta councillors have elected Ade Surapriatna of the Golkar Party, who is serving his fifth tenure on the council, as speaker. His victory has not been without controversy, and has raised questions on the loss of rival Ahmad Heryawan of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which holds majority seats at 18. Amid the ongoing scandal surrounding the Bogor city council and the detention of its former speaker for graft, the Jakarta councillors made a pledge against corruption, collusion and nepotism. The Jakarta Post asked some residents on their expectations for the new councillors.
Anwar, 34, is a street vendor who has a spot outside the Tanah Abang textile market, Central Jakarta. He lives with his wife and two sons in Cipulir subdistrict, South Jakarta:
I voted for Democratic Party in the April legislative election and I voted for the party's candidate Pak SBY (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) in the presidential elections because I expect them to provide a better life for my family.
Frankly, I do not know the candidate I voted for in the legislative election. But I still hope that the new city councillors will perform better than those before.
I hope they will think about the fate of the poor who have elected them; I hope they will not be involved in corruption and that they will not allow the administration to evict street vendors.
But I don't know that they will fulfill any of my hopes, because I don't know them personally.
Lisa, 24, is a factory outlet attendant in Senayan, South Jakarta. She lives in Meruya, West Jakarta:
I expect the new councillors will show integrity in doing their jobs. As our representatives, they should side with the interests of the majority and should communicate openly with the capital's residents.
There should be no protests or rallies at City Council any more, because the councillors themselves set up the mechanisms to find out about the real problems we're facing right now.
I voted for PKS. I don't really know about their candidate, but the party is known for their integrity and consistency.
What we need are outspoken councillors who will stand up for the people they represent and not just those greedy politicians who are into horse-trading or money politics.
-- The Jakarta Post