Governatorial candidates play it safe

Governatorial candidates play it safe

Jongker Rumteh, The Jakarta Post, Manado

Observers have found fault in the election campaigns of
candidates for North Sulawesi governor and deputy governor,
saying the politicians are playing on primordial sentiments
rather than tackling issues.
"This strategy encourages voters to make an emotional decision,
rather than a rational one," said political observer Max Rembang.

Five pairs will contest the June 20 election: Hengky Baramuli-
Dirk P. Togas, A.J. Sondakh-Arianthi Baramuli Putri, Ferry
Tinggogoy-Hamdi Paputungan, Sinyo Harry Sarundajang-Freddy Harry
Sualang and Wenny Warouw-Marhany Pua.

Pair Hengky and Togas have been approaching Sangir-Talaud
people as Hengky comes from the ethnic group, which is the second
biggest in North Sulawesi.

While, to win over Muslim voters -- whose number is
significant in the predominantly Christian province -- Hengky and
Togas have assigned the head of their campaign team, Abid
Takalamingan. Takalamingan is leader of the Muslim-based
Prosperous Justice Party's chapter in the province.

The other pairs are battling for the Minahasan vote, the
largest distinct group of people in North Sulawesi. Sondakh,
Ferry Tinggogoy, Sarundajang and Warouw are all Minahasan.

Besides approaching Minahasan leaders, the candidates have
been strengthening ties with religious institutions. Sondakh, for
example, has frequently visited senior members of the province's
largest church, the Minahasa Bible Christian Synode. Sondakh, who
was North Sulawesi governor for the 1999 to 2005 term, is a
member of the church's advisory council.

Arianthy Baramuli, a Muslim, is targeting the Muslim vote and
makes frequent donations to mosques. As the only female
candidate, she is also campaigning for gender equality.

Pair Ferry Tinggogoy and Hamdi Paputungan are counting on the
Catholic and Bolaang-Mongondouw vote.

"Ferry has not approached the Catholics, but I believe that
the some 120,000 Catholic voters will pick him as he is the only
Catholic among the candidates," said a member of Ferry's campaign
team.

Ferry's running mate Hamdi Paputungan is approaching leaders
of the Bolaang-Mongondouw ethnic group, which Hamdi belongs to.
There are 316,000 eligible voters in Bolaang-Mongondouw regency.

Sinyo Harry Sarundajang and Freddy Harry Sualang have been
meeting with leaders of the Minahasan people, with some 700,000
eligible voters in that group, as well as Maluku migrants.

Sinyo, a former acting governor of North Maluku province, has
brought in Maluku Governor Albert Rahalalu and top Muslim leaders
to assist with his campaign. Maluku voters comprise some 40,000
of the 1.6 million eligible voters in the province.

Meanwhile, pair Wenny Warouw and Marhany Pua are banking on
support from the police community and the Minahasa Bible
Christian Synode. Wenny -- a police brigadier general who will
remain inactive for the campaign period -- would be the first
North Sulawesi governor from the police force if he is elected,
while Marhany is garnering support from the Minahasa Bible
Christian Synode as he was formerly the church's youth group
leader.

Max condemned the candidates' campaign strategies, saying they
were not offering anything new.

"People should have been educated to use their heads in
picking a leader. Candidates would have done better promoting
concrete platforms for the benefit of the province, instead of
utilizing primordial sentiment," said Max, a lecturer at the
social and political school of Sam Ratulangi University in the
provincial capital of Manado.