North Sulawesi journalists to contest 2004 elections
North Sulawesi journalists to contest 2004 elections
Jongker Rumteh, The Jakarta Post, Manado, North Sulawesi
Given the important role of the media in the general election,
several political parties in North Sulawesi province have
recruited journalists as legislative candidates to contest in the
upcoming general election.
Among the political parties in the province that have
recruited journalists are the Indonesian Democratic Vanguard
Party (PPDI), the Pioneers' Party and the Concern for the
National Functional Party (PKPB).
PPDI's North Sulawesi central board of executives, for
example, has appointed Jurical Antameng, a correspondent with the
Jakarta-based Trust magazine in Manado, as the party's
legislative candidate to contest a seat in the North Sulawesi
Legislative Council. Jurical is currently secretary in PPDI's
North Sulawesi chapter.
"I became a member of PPDI a long time ago, but became very
active in the party only recently.
I have become very active, because I have topped the list of
PPDI's legislative candidates for the provincial council,"
Jurical told The Jakarta Post.
Meanwhile, the Pioneers' Party nominated Alvein Gilingan, the
chief editor of Porodisa Tabloid, as its legislative candidate
for Manado Municipal Council.
Like Jurical, Alvein also topped the list of the Pioneers'
Party's legislative candidates for the Manado council.
Alvein said that he was ready to compete with legislative
candidates nominated by other political parties, although the
political scene was a novelty for him.
"I am ready to demonstrate my substance before the public, for
example, through public debate. Through public debate, the public
can assess the quality of the legislative candidates," he said.
PPKB, the party that has nominated the daughter of former
president Suharto, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, as its presidential
candidate, does not want to be outshone by PPDI and the Pioneers'
Party.
The party has nominated Iverdixon Tinungki, the chief editor
of Tagonggong tabloid, as its legislative candidate for the North
Sulawesi Legislative Council.
Like his fellow journalists, Iverdixon, who is a senior
journalist, also topped the list of legislative candidates from
the party.
Even the mighty Golkar Party has nominated a journalist as one
of its legislative candidates. The party has recruited Jufry
Suak, a correspondent for the Jakarta-based Suara Karya
newspaper, to contest a seat in the North Sulawesi Legislative
Council.
The chance for them to gain seats is wide open, as several
journalists were able to gain legislative seats in the 1999
general election. They were, among others, Karim Sondokan, a
former journalist with Cahaya Siang newspaper, Adi Palit, a
former journalist with the Jakarta-based Suara Pembaruan
afternoon daily and Jeffry Rawis, a former correspondent with the
Jakarta-based Media Indonesia daily.