Karet Tengsin fire victims mostly voted for PPP

JAKARTA (JP): Residents from razed slum houses in Karet Tengsin subdistrict, Tanah Abang, in Central Jakarta, mostly voted for the United Development Party (PPP), a resident said.

Ismet, the secretary of the RW 05 neighborhood and also a participant of the ruling Golkar party, said out of six polling stations in the area, PPP won big at all five stations by at least 50 votes over Golkar.

"People question the government's sincerity in helping rebuild the neighborhood," he said. "If they vote Golkar, will it make any difference for the community here?"

Ismet also admitted he had been a Golkar member since 1971, but many people in the neighborhood were PPP supporters.

Danil Dahlan, RW 05 head, said many community chiefs expected residents to vote for Golkar because Golkar might provide low- cost apartments. But polling results proved otherwise.

Ismet said the people had decided to rebuild their homes and would not wait for the government's offer of providing apartments.

"The promise is still vague. We want to live in houses and this is where we've settled," he said.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said the victims were allowed to rebuild their homes for a temporary period, because in the long run the city planned to build apartments for the residents. But the governor also stated the city did not have funds yet.

Ismet said residents had asked construction material stores to sell them lumber on credit, saying that they would pay for it after occupying their houses.

"Without government subsidies, I bought lumber for Rp 5 million (US$2,040) from a material store, which I will pay back later," Ismet said adding that neighbors had done likewise.

Danil said Central Jakarta mayoralty had donated Rp 2.5 million, Golkar's Karet Tengsin branch donated Rp 2 million, and PPP (United Development Party) and the Indonesian Democratic Party donated used clothes, rice and snacks.

"We spend Rp 1 million a day on food to feed at least 700 people," Danil said. An official from the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) said daily expenses included 400 kilograms of rice and 250 kilograms of vegetables.

On May 19, more than 1,500 people -- mostly vendors and blue collar workers -- became homeless when a fire ravaged 275 slum homes in seven neighborhoods of RW 05 along the polluted Krukut River.

The city's Indonesian Red Cross had set up three big tents and a temporary communal kitchen. Also, the state-owned water company had provided a 4,000-liter water tank for daily water consumption and the city's cleaning service had picked up the trash, Edward Bachtiar said.

Today is the last day for the fire victims to get public assistance. Some of them have started moving into their new homes, even though some homes are still under construction. (10)