'Next president to have a tough job'
The campaigns of presidential candidates have been marred by allegations of vote buying and misuse of state facilities, which apparently have not affected polling results obtained by various organizations. The Jakarta Post asked some Jakarta people what they thought of the July 5 presidential election.
Lukman, 52, is a chauffeur who works for a family living in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta. He lives in Depok, Bogor regency, with his wife and four children:
I'm voting for SBY (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono), of course, and you can write that down if you want.
It's a free election, so why should we be afraid or ashamed of whom we will vote for as president, especially when all those celebrities on television get to publicly declare what candidate they will support?
Being a direct election, I think it'll be better because we'll know exactly whom we'll be voting for, and there'll be only a slight chance that our votes will be manipulated.
As for my expectations after the elections, I just hope prices go down and corruption will be eradicated, although I admit it'll be a tough job for the next president.
OK, so maybe he won't be able to resolve 100 percent of our country's problems, but if he managed to deal with about 30 percent, I'd say it was successful enough.
Purnomo, 32, drives a rented truck that operates on Jl. T.B. Simatupang, South Jakarta. He lives in Pondok Labu with his wife and daughter:
I'm really not interested in the upcoming presidential election, because I think all the candidates are just raising our hopes and offering us lip-service in their campaigns, with no assurance that they'll make good on their promises if they get elected.
The campaigns are just as phoney, because most people who attend campaign rallies don't even listen to the candidates' speeches. They're just there for the fun and festivities and the dangdut concerts usually held afterwards.
I was asked several times by members of campaign teams who wanted to rent my truck, but I refused. I didn't care how much they were willing to pay me. Besides, our boss (the truck owner) won't let us, because he's afraid they'll damage the truck and make it dirty.
--The Jakarta Post