JP/5/STUDENT

Students earn good money during election campaign

The Jakarta Post Jakarta

The first day of the gubernatorial election campaign in West Sumatra province has brought unexpected benefits to the university students of Padang city. For only pasting up posters of the candidates, they are paid Rp 60,000 (US$6.4) a day, and receive T-shirts bearing the likenesses of the candidates for whom they are working.

Ilham, a student in the city, said on Friday that he had been employed to paste up posters around the city on Thursday evening and had been paid Rp 60,000 for his efforts.

"The payments are made on a "per-motorcycle" basis. Rp 60,000 is paid in respect of each motorcycle used. If two people ride on the same motorcycle, then the Rp 60,000 is divided between them so that each receive Rp 30,000, plus a T-shirt," said Ilham as quoted by Antara.

Ilham said that he pasted up 300 posters in one night in the Andalas area, while other students had been assigned to do the same thing in other parts of the city.

Roy, a fellow student of Ilham's at Andalas private university in Padang, recounted a similar story.

"It's good money. I can use it to buy cigarettes. I will do it again today if there are any candidates willing to pay," said Roy on Friday.

Friday was the first day of the 14-day campaign period in the province, and the candidates availed of it to present their manifestos to the public at the West Sumatra provincial council building.

The candidates competing for the posts of governor and deputy governor in the first direct local leadership election in the province are Leonardy Harmainy and Rusdi Lubis, M. Kapitra Ampera and Dalimi Abdullah, Gamawan Fauzi and Marlis Rahman, Irwan Prayitno and Ikasuma Hamis, and Jeffrie Geovanie and Dasman Lanin.

The gubernatorial election will be held on June 27.