NGOs support 25 women legislative candidates

A. Junaidi The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Non-government organizations have assisted 25 women in their bid to become legislators in upcoming elections.

The NGOs, including the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) and the Concerned Indonesian Women's Movement (GPPI) say the legislative candidates are worth assisting because they are quality candidates.

"But it doesn't mean that other woman candidates are not good," Francisca "Eri" Seda of Cetro said on Tuesday.

Political parties were expected to field at least 30 percent of women candidates for the April 5 legislative election but only two out of 24 parties actually did.

Eri said the 25 women had passed a two-month selection process out of 84 nominees. The process gauged the level of their concern on issues of democratization, human rights, civilian supremacy and women's empowerment.

The NGOs will provide each candidate with campaign funding of between Rp 3 million (US$352) and Rp 16 million.

"We will also pay for a radio advertising campaign for the 25 women across the country," Eri said, adding that the fund was secured from a fund-raising night conducted by the NGOs last month. The campaign period will be from March 11 to April 1.

Maria Ulfa Anshor, a candidate from the National Awakening Party (PKB), said she would use the Rp 10 million fund to finance a water pump and public toilet projects in two villages in the West Java town of Indramayu.

"We hope that it will be useful for the people. Although probably many voters would prefer T-shirts to the projects," Maria who is also the chairperson of the country's largest Muslim Organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) women's wing Fatayat, said.

Sarah Leary Mboeik said she would use the Rp 16 million fund to finance water projects in an East Nusa Tenggara village.

Other recipients included Grace Papare Rumansara, a candidate from the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PPIB) of Papua and Maria Ulfa Anshor from PKB of West Java, Eva K.S. from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) of East Java and Asmaniar from the National Mandate Party (PAN) in West Kalimantan.

Wooing voters through community projects has been a common mode of campaigning, notably by the ruling Golkar party in the three decades of Soeharto's regime ending in 1998.