More candidates sought for polls

JAKARTA: The government has asked political parties to nominate candidates for upcoming gubernatorial, mayoral and regency elections following reports of single nominees in a number of regencies and cities.

The director general of regional autonomy at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Progo Nurdjaman, said the request was made to help bolster democracy in the country and to encourage more people to come out and vote for their candidates.

"We are strongly urging political parties to nominate candidates. Each electoral district contains more than one party eligible to nominate a candidate, so why don't they take the opportunity?" he said on Friday. --JP