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.