PDI-P banking on regents to attract voters
PDI-P banking on regents to attract voters
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is
counting on its members serving as regents and mayors across the
country to help it win the April 5 legislative election.
Since the implementation of regional autonomy, the party has
established itself more at the municipality level across the
country than at the provincial level, which is dominated by other
political parties.
The PDI-P, the largest party in the country, has won 75
percent of regency elections on Java and Bali islands, and 50
percent on Sumatra and Kalimantan islands over the past several
years.
The party's weak point remains the eastern part of Indonesia
where the Golkar Party, the former political machine of president
Soeharto, maintains its dominance.
"It is true that it is easier to win support in the era of
autonomy if you have regents and majors," the party's deputy
secretary-general, Agnita Singadikane, said over the weekend.
With most regencies in Java and Bali led by PDI-P members, the
party expects to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the
legislative election, Agnita said.
In the 1999 elections, Java and Bali accounted for 243 of the
462 seats in the House of Representatives, with these heavily
populated islands being home to 55 percent of the 124 million
total voters.
In eastern Indonesia, PDI-P failed to make headway, in part
due to the influence of then president B.J.Habibie, the first
Indonesian president to come from outside Java.
With clear instructions from PDI-P leader and President
Megawati Soekarnoputri, the party's regents and mayors have taken
great steps to promote the party.
In Cilacap, Central Java, Regent Probo Yulastro issued a
letter asking teachers at state schools to take part in the PDI-P
campaign on Saturday, where he was scheduled to appear as a
campaigner.
In the letter, the regent also reminded the teachers to
continue selling books covered with the party's symbol as part of
the campaign efforts.
In Yogyakarta, Bantul Regent Idam Samawi, a member of the PDI-
P, ordered his administration to purchase farmers' crops above
market prices over the past few weeks, in a move some critics say
is an attempt to buy their votes.
"We expect PDI-P regents and mayors to bring us at least 50
percent of the votes in their respective areas, except in Java
and Bali, where we expect at least 75 percent," party deputy
secretary-general Pramono Anung said over the weekend.
He underlined that there were no specific instructions from
Megawati, but it was the responsibility of party members to bring
in votes for the PDI-P.
"But we always encourage them to win fairly and not to engage
in the practices of the old regime, which abused its authority to
attract voters," Agnita said.
PDI-P REGIONAL HEADS
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PROVINCE TOTAL REGENCIES PDI-P LED
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West Java 37 18
Central Java 35 28
East Java 38 21
D.I.Y. Yogyakarta 5 4
Bali 9 7
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