'New governor must love the poor'

'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