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