'Sutiyoso more like salesman than governor'

Even though governor Sutiyoso has been reelected for a second term, many people are still skeptical about his capability to manage the city and its problems.

Yudi, 28, a pushcart fruit vendor in Slipi, West Jakarta. He lives in Slipi with his wife and son. He used to work as a labor supervisor in a factory located in Kedoya, West Jakarta:

I think Sutiyoso is similar to a salesman as he remains tough and shameless despite the objection from the would-be customers.

He is shameless because despite the fact that he has failed to gain support from the public, he refuses to resign. So it would be better for him to become a salesman as he would not have the moral responsibility as a governor to manage people.

It seems there was some political trickery between the high- ranking officials and Sutiyoso, that facilitated his election victory. But, we have to take that fact for granted.

I just regret the fact about his poor performances because he never went down to address the people's misery but looked up to cater to the top leaders and high class society instead.

Yuliana, 32, a staff member at an education foundation in Salemba, Central Jakarta. She has been living near her office for almost four years:

Jakarta has so many complex social problems such as traffic congestion, street crime, poverty and unemployment. During his first tenure, every Jakartan knew that Sutiyoso had failed to manage all those complexities.

Logically speaking, I wonder how he can implement his programs to manage the people when at the same time he cannot convince the public about his own performance.

The power blackout last night might be an unlucky symbol of his incompetence. It was just a day after he was re-elected.

Zulfa, 21, a courier of a delivery service company in Ciputat, Tangerang. He lives in Ciputat:

I'm not sure Sutiyoso can handle all the problems in Jakarta during his new term.

I think slum areas will be even larger and street criminals will be more prevalent. Unemployment rates will go even higher than the recent data now.

He was unable to solve the social problems here in his first tenure. If he were a school student, his assignment (first term) would be all marked up by red ink.

-- Leo Wahyudi S