Street vendors benefit from party attributs

JAKARTA (JP): Although the official start of campaigning for the June general election is 42 days away, traders are setting up shop on the city's sidewalks with an array of party attributes.

Eye-catching, colorful merchandise is available on Jl. Mampang Prapatan in South Jakarta, Jl. Senen Raya, Jl. Kramat Raya and Jl. K.S. Tubun in Central Jakarta, and Jl. Jatinegara in East Jakarta.

Along Jl. Mampang Prapatan, at least 20 traders were observed on Thursday selling oversized flags, T-shirts, caps, pens, pins, scarfs, vests and even baby accessories, all bearing symbols of different political parties contesting the polls.

Hawkers also were spotted on Jl. Kramat Raya near the Senen junction.

More are expected to take to the streets in days immediately before the campaign starts on May 19.

Interviewed on Thursday by The Jakarta Post, many of the traders acknowledged the presence of 48 poll contestants in this year's elections -- up from the three of past elections -- was no guarantee of big sales.

Customers, they said, were only interested in merchandise of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the National Mandate Party, the United Development Party and the National Awakening Party.

The public's cool response has led traders to take an unenthusiastic view of the remaining parties.

They said they were merely following the public's example.

"It's the market that says it," one of them said.

Taufik on Jl. Mampang Prapatan said: "So far only supporters from those four parties have showed up."

Traders said they sold their wares from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. every day.

Flags are on sale for between Rp 5,000 and Rp 45,000 each, depending on the size and material, and hats sell from Rp 6,000 to Rp 15,000 each.

T-shirt prices range from Rp 6,000 to Rp 12,000 each, also depending on size and material.

Pins are Rp 2,000 each.

Taufik said he bought the attributes at Jatinegara Market in East Jakarta and Tanah Abang Market in Central Jakarta.

Eeng, another trader on Jl. Mampang Prapatan, said he bought the merchandise from a major trader.

"The big trader came here and asked me to sell his merchandise," said Eeng, who runs his business from a bus shelter.

Many of the traders said they took home Rp 25,000 profit per day.

"It's a good job for an unemployed man like me," said Amat, a trader on Jl. Kramat Raya. (jun/bsr)