PDI-P tips Roy as gubernatorial candidate

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two months ago, a question emerged among Jakartans: Who would be able to stop Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso from being reelected for a second term?

But the former Jakarta military commander is now facing a tough challenger since the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the biggest party in the City Council with 30 seats, announced on Wednesday that it would nominate its deputy chairman Roy B. B. Janis in the October gubernatorial election.

Chairman of the party's city chapter, Tarmidi Suhardjo, said: "Roy is the strongest candidate from the party".

In his view, Roy, who formerly chaired the party's city chapter, would meet the requirements for a gubernatorial candidate and was familiar with the city.

Article 2 of the draft election regulation stipulates that a candidate must know Jakarta and must be known by Jakarta residents.

The soft-spoken Roy, who was born in Jakarta on Aug. 22, 1957, is also chairman of the PDI Perjuangan faction in the House of Representatives and a member of House Commission I for political and security affairs.

Tarmidi is chairman of the City Council's special team responsible for formulating the election regulations.

He is one of three councillors who have been named as suspects in a graft case, in which it is reported that the councillors received an allowance of more than US$10,000 for a foreign trip that they did not join.

Tarmidi's announcement about Roy's candidacy received a cold response from Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) chairwoman Wardah Hafidz.

"Jakarta will not be a better city under Roy," said Wardah, whose organization has led flood victims to challenge the city administration for its poor flood control management.

She pointed out that Roy still carried the new order paradigm of accusing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of being paid by foreign parties to promote their interests.

In justification of PDI Perjuangan's lack of support for the current constitutional amendment process, Roy said last week that the amendment process was influenced by NGOs which were paid by foreign parties.

The next governor will be elected by the city councillors of which 30 of them are PDI Perjuangan members.

Roy is the second civilian candidate after the current city secretary Fauzi Bowo who has been nominated by the Native Jakartans Association (Bamus Betawi).

Since the city has always been led by governors with a military background since the New Order regime, activists suspect that this year the post of Jakarta governor will be still allocated for a military officer.

Other candidates from the military are City Council chairman, Maj. Gen. Edy Waluyo and the State Intelligence Body (BIN) chief, Lt. Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono.