Mayor candidates going extra mile to win support

Mayor candidates going extra mile to win support

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

Traffic is heavy at Tugu Adipura traffic circle in
Bandarlampung's city center. Public transportation drivers slow
their vehicles -- not to make way for the traffic police, but to
get some of the freebies distributed by dozens of Sjachrazad Z.P
and Rudy Syawal's campaign team members.

Each package distributed on behalf of the candidates for
Bandarlampung mayor and deputy major from the Golkar Party,
comprises rice, sugar, coffee and instant noodles, and were
greeted with smiles from the drivers.

"Not bad, I can take it home to my family and have coffee with
friends," said Syarofi, a 25-year-old public minivan driver.

On that particular day, the campaign team managed to
distribute around 200 packages.

After causing a traffic jam for almost an hour and half, they
moved to another intersection to give away the handouts.

Campaign field coordinator, Gurmewa, claimed that apart from
promoting the two candidates, it was an altruistic move that they
hoped could ease the drivers' burdens.

On another day recently, Sjachrazad Z.P. and Rudy Syawal
distributed such packages themselves.

They also visited the Tugu Tanjungkarang market where they
gave away some 150 packages of food to pedicab drivers, and
visited other pedicab groups in the city. That was followed by
visits to motorcycle taxi groups with similar handouts given.

Apart from individual donations to the party, the candidates
also receive assistance from Golkar's women's association and the
Enggal Big Family, a group of indigenous Lampung people from
Enggal subdistrict.

"We pedicab drivers are ready to help Pak Acan (Sjachrazad
popular name) win the election and become the Bandarlampung
mayor," claimed a 37-year-old pedicab driver Mardi.

Since the pair registered with Bandarlampung Election
Committee, they have been regularly spotted at public places,
distributing many things -- ranging from food and cash to Islamic
prayer books and headscarves for Muslim women at mosques.

A member of prayer groups at the Ukhuwah Islamiyah mosque in
Kedamaian subdistrict, East Tanjungkarang, claimed that
Sjachrazad distributed envelopes consisting of Rp 20,000 each to
the group's members.

"Of course when they're given money and headscarves, the women
will be happy. But when they're given the prayer books, although
they will take it, they usually complain, because they already
have plenty of them back home," said one 42-year-old woman, Mrs.
Asmadi, a resident of Kedamaian subdistrict.

"Especially when the cover of the prayer book has the picture
of the candidate ... as if they are already dead," she laughed.
Such prayer books are usually handed out at prayer rituals after
a Muslim dies.

Another candidate for Bandarlampung mayor, Irfan Nuranda
Djafar, who receives support from the National Mandate Party and
the United Development Party, claimed he would not distribute
food or money to win support.

Instead, he prefers to sign a "political contract" with
residents, who want the city to develop further.

"Many groups of residents want me to come. They promise to
vote for me if I can develop their villages. If (the requests
are) realistic, I'll sign a pledge with them," Irfan said.

He claimed that since he registered with the election
committee, he has spent most of time with his supporters.

"I usually get out of the house by 8 a.m. and don't get back
home until 3 a.m.," said the former regent of East Lampung.

Another candidate, noted Muslim cleric Abdul Hakim, a
legislator who regularly gives sermons at Bandarlampung mosques,
spends most of his time inviting residents to pray in mosques.

Recently, while preaching at a mosque in Gulak-Galik
subdistrict, Telukbetung Utara district, Abdul, who is backed by
the Prosperous Justice Party, explained why residents ought to
vote for religious, clean, honest candidates, who will consider
the people's interests.

Despite some of the potentially problematic campaign
activities by the candidates, no action has been taken yet by the
Bandarlampung election committee or the supervision committee.

A member of the Bandarlampung supervision committee, Riko
Firmansyah, said no action had been taken because the candidates'
actions so far were not being used as a way to spell out their
missions or make promises. Their campaigning, he explained, was
only considered a way to introduce themselves to the public.

But other prospective voters have their own idea. Jamal (32),
a resident of Kedamaian subdistrict, claimed he was not taking
the handouts very seriously.

"Everyone claims to be number one and they all say they will
improve people's welfare. As a poor person, I'll take it if
anyone gives me food or a t-shirt. But to whom I'll vote for,
it's a secret," said the chicken noodle soup vendor.