Running for governor's office

Running for governor's office

From Rakyat Merdeka

As many as 72 people have nominated themselves as candidates
for the governor of Jakarta and about 37 people for the position
of deputy governor. Interestingly, incumbent Governor Sutiyoso,
whose performance is not satisfactory, is of these contestants.

The post of Jakarta's governor is open to Betawi people, who
are indigenous to this city, and non-Betawi as long as the
candidates are competent and qualified.

In fact, Jakarta is confronted with a host of complicated
problems: dwindling public space, green belts turned into paved
roads, inundation and traffic congestion. Then you also have the
garbage problem, which needs professional handling, weak law
enforcement and corruption.

In short, after former governor Ali Sadikin, popularly called
Bang Ali, we knew no governor that did much to change the face of
this capital city; Jakarta has been managed carelessly.
Strangely, Sutiyoso has blamed urbanization for all the problems
now baffling this capital city.

For the Jakarta residents, anybody can occupy the seat of
Jakarta's governor as long as he can turn Jakarta into a healthy
place of living, free from pollution and floods.

As a capital city, Jakarta is a yardstick and a model for
other cities across the country. Anybody wishing to run in the
contest for Jakarta's governorship must realize that Jakarta is a
metropolitan city and must have the qualification to keep Jakarta
in this status.

Perhaps it is good to set the following as the criteria that
anybody aspiring to become the governor of Jakarta must meet:
(1) honesty; (2) courage to call a spade a spade; (3) free from
corruption, collusion and nepotism; (4) devotion to God the
Almighty; (5) a problem-free past; (6) a civilian; (7) commitment
to defending the interest of the residents, particularly the poor
and (8) willingness to listen to the aspirations of the
residents.

ASNAWATI SANUSI

Jakarta