'New governor must love the poor'

With the upcoming gubernatorial election looming, Jakartans have begun to think about what they expect from the next governor. Some prefer a civilian but others still want a military officer. However, their main concern is that whoever becomes the next governor they must pay more attention to the poor and work harder to eradicate poverty in the capital.

Karsa, 47, has been working as a gardener at a hotel on Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, for 20 years.

"In my opinion, a governor must love the poor and have the strong will to fight for them. They must be able to prioritize the poor because they have often been abandoned by the government. Even members of the House of Representatives, who are supposed to represent the people often fail to side with them.

Sutiyoso is a bad example of a governor because he has shown very little concern to the poor. Do you remember when the floods hit Jakarta earlier this year? His support for the poor came far too late.

I hope the next governor will be as tough as Ali Sadikin or Wiyogo Atmodarminto who were very concerned about the poor. They are good examples of people who have reacted quickly to public concern."

Wiwik, 38, is a soft drinks vendor on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta. The mother of two comes from Salatiga, Central Java, and has lived in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, for four years.

"I have no idea what makes a good governor. I'm just a common person who knows nothing about politics or high-ranking officials.

If I talk about it, it won't have much impact on ordinary people's lives.

Our main concern is how to survive our everyday struggles.

It's useless to support or vote for any gubernatorial candidates because they usually forget people like me.

I think a governor should be a leader who cares about the lives of the poor. A good leader does not ignore his people and their concerns.

Government officials should not close their eyes to the poor, because otherwise they will fail to create good governance."

Abdul Ali, 65, a lecturer at a private university in Ciputat, South Jakarta:

"A city governor should be well educated, like a university graduate. They must also have a vision for the city and be able to view and solve very complex problems.

The governor must be a civilian so that they can carry out reform. Sutiyoso and other candidates with military backgrounds must not be elected.

Sutiyoso, according to me, has failed to improve public services, such as public transport. His efforts to control the city's floods was disappointing to say the least.

We should not choose a governor with a military background to maintain the city's security. The governor could cooperate with the city police to maintain security. Under Sutiyoso's tenure, security in the city has not really improved."

Dina, 23, graduated from the school of architecture and now works as an observer for urban affairs. She is also an environmental activist. She lives in Cililitan subdistrict, East Jakarta.

"The next governor must be a civilian. We must end the tradition that Jakarta has to be led by a military officer. I haven't seen any substantial progress under the leadership of a governor with a military background.

We must give the opportunity to a civilian to lead the capital. I think it's OK if the deputy is from the military.

The governor must also care about the fate of the poor. It's important because I have noticed that the administration gives little attention to the poor.

The way the administration handled flood victims earlier this year clearly showed their lack of attention to the poor and common people." -- JP