PDI-P, Golkar, PAN in mayoralty race

PDI-P, Golkar, PAN in mayoralty race

BANDUNG: The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan), the Golkar Party and the National Mandate Party
(PAN) have coalesced to support the nomination of Dada Rosada as
the new mayor of Bandung, West Java.

Dada, a former secretary of the Bandung administration, is to
pair with PDI Perjuangan councillor Jusep Purwasuganda to contest
the mayoralty election in October.

Iqbal Abdulkarim, a spokesman for the PAN faction in the
Bandung legislative council, said the coalition between his
party, PDI Perjuangan and Golkar was officially agreed on Aug.
15.

"We are sure that the pairing of Dada and Jusep will win the
election," he said on Tuesday.

The coalition is expected to win at least 28 votes for Dada.
The council comprises 45 seats.

Incumbent Bandung Mayor Aa Taraman, a retired army officer
whose five-year term ends on Oct. 16, is backed by the four-
member faction of the United Development Party and the one-seat
Justice and Unity faction.

Other candidates include the pairing of academic
Taufiqqurahman and Ujang Sachruddin, plus Sugih Wiramikarta and
Iwan Abdurrahman. --JP