Depok sets high hope on next mayor

Remmy Faizal/Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

As the mayoral election draws near, Depok residents have high hopes for whoever is elected to head the municipality.

Depok residents interviewed by The Jakarta Post on Friday said they did not particularly care who won the June 26 election, as long as the new mayor was able to address various problems in the municipality, including poor infrastructure, high school fees, illegal fees and development disparities.

Retno, 30, a housewife in Depok Jaya subdistrict, said the current municipal administration paid too much attention to development programs along Jl. Margonda Raya, the center of Depok municipality.

Jl. Margonda, the biggest road in the municipality, is home to City Hall, government and private offices, and shopping centers.

"We hope the new mayor will also pay attention to other areas," Retno told the Post.

She specifically mentioned broken drains near her house that flooded roads in the area.

Asked if any of the five pairs of candidates contesting the election met her criteria, Retno said she was not really following the news on the election. But she said she would vote on June 26.

"I think it is good to be able to vote directly for a candidate. I hope the election will take place smoothly without any violence," she said.

The five pairs of candidates are Abdul Wahab Abidin and running mate Ilham Wijaya, Harun Heryana and Farkhan A.R., Badrul Kamal and Syihabuddin Ahmad, Yus Ruswandi and Soetadi Dipowongso, and Nur Mahmudi Ismail and Yuyun Wirasaputra.

Wahab was nominated by the Democratic Party, Harun by the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Prosperous and United Development Party, Badrul by the Golkar Party and the National Awakening Party. Yus was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Peace Party, and Nur Mahmudi by the Prosperous Justice Party.

There are 899,419 voters eligible to take part in the mayoral election, which will be held at some 2,000 polling stations across the municipality.

Haris, 24, a student at the University of Indonesia who lives in Kukusan subdistrict, said inferior infrastructure was a major problem in the municipality.

He is particularly concerned by traffic congestions due to the increased number of vehicles on the roads. Haris hopes the next mayor will have a plan for dealing with the problem.

Darul, 35, a bus driver, and Parlan, 41, a street vendor at the Depok bus terminal, expressed concern about illegal fees collected by administration officials and thugs.

"The next mayor should pay serious attention to corruption, including illegal fees," said Darul, who said he had to pay corrupt officials and thugs about Rp 4,000 (42 US cents) a day.

Surti, 31, a housewife in Pancoran Mas subdistrict, wants the new administration to provide free education through junior high school.

Not all Depok residents, however, are placing much hope in the next mayor. Nero, who owns a motorcycle repair shop in Beji subdistrict, is afraid to get his hopes up.

"Direct mayoral elections are good for our democracy, but I do not want to have any expectations because I do not want to be disappointed later," said Nero, stressing that he would be voting in the election.