Mooryati takes lead in Jakarta

Mooryati takes lead in Jakarta

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the direct election for Jakarta candidates for a new body
called the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), cosmetics
queen Mooryati Soedibyo ruled the ballot counting on Tuesday with
30,674 votes as of 8 p.m.

By then only some 3.9 percent of Jakarta's expected 6,478,005
votes had been counted. Final results are expected in a few days.

Mooryati is the founder and owner of PT Mustika Ratu, a
cosmetics firm. Former minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, who seemed
to have gained considerable support from many including taxi
drivers during his campaign, was a strong second with 30,500
votes.

They both will compete against 36 other candidates to secure
only four posts allotted for each province. The four winners will
team up with other winners from 31 other provinces to form the
new DPD. It will meet regularly as an "upper house" with the
House of Representatives.

However, the DPD's powers will be limited to delivering their
opinions in discussing bills, including those on the state
budget, taxation, education and religion.

According to Article 22D of the fourth amendment to the
Constitution, the Council has the right to propose and discuss
with the House bills on regional autonomy, central-local
government relations, natural resources management and
intergovernmental fiscal balance.

The provisional result was announced on Tuesday by the Jakarta
General Elections Commission (KPUD) at Cempaka Hotel in Central
Jakarta. At the hotel ballroom, which has been converted into a
24-hour media center, journalists can access the latest KPUD
ballot figures through a password.

The KPUD also announced the result of vote counting for the
Jakarta City Council (DPRD) as of 8 p.m. Similar to its early
gain in the contest for seats in the House of Representatives,
political newcomer, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) held a
surprising lead with 60,858 votes, followed by the Democratic
Party with 59,672 votes.

The two parties' performance was way beyond expectations,
although the Islamic-oriented PKS already made a show of force in
its campaign at the Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central
Jakarta, that caused massive traffic jams in the capital.

Support for the Democratic Party has been attributed to wide
sympathy for its cofounder and presidential hopeful, former
security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Megawati's party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI-P), has so far only gained third place with 39,709 votes.

The KPUD noted that between 60 percent and 70 percent of
voters only punched the logo of political parties without
punching the name of their legislative candidates.