Party leaders bike for fun, but not everyone show up
Party leaders bike for fun, but not everyone show up
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Will there be peaceful competition among political parties set to
run in the upcoming general election? The fun bike event held on
Sunday gave a good hint, as the participating party leaders
turned it into a raucous bike race.
Still catching their breath, the 24 party leaders later read
out a joint pledge to stand for election peacefully.
"All of us want the election to run peacefully without any
violence ... That's why we have gathered together all party
leaders to strive for a peaceful election," said Djafar H
Assegaff, deputy chief editor of Media Indonesia daily, closing
the fun bike event at the front yard of Graha Pemuda, Jl. Gerbang
Pemuda, Central Jakarta.
According to the regulations, the political parties are due to
start campaigning on March 11 and finish on April 1.
The program, titled Peace Bike to Election, was organized
jointly by Media Indonesia, its sister television station Metro
TV and bicycle maker Polygon.
Around 200 participants, including those from non-governmental
organizations, Jakarta officials, observers, artists and poll
watch and poll commission members, zipped through the 5.2-
kilometer route. Traffic policemen rerouted the traffic for
several minutes to make way for the cyclists.
"This fun bike event may remind us (political parties) that we
must play fair," said Andi Mallarangeng who chairs the United
Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK).
Reform Star Party executive Ade Daud N added that the event
was just an opportunity to socialize with other parties and the
media. "Of course, we won't stop at this event. We've planned
many other activities to reach out to people, especially those at
grassroots level."
It seemed that the event failed to reach its target as leaders
of major parties, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI-P), Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP), did not
show up.
The event was also enlivened by a mini-drama put on by
elementary school students from Teater Sanggar Anak Kemboja, in
an expression of what the children hoped for from the upcoming
elections.
"We just want the price of rice to be cheaper, as well as the
price of books" said a boy.
"We don't want any more floods to affect our school," another
boy added.