'Sutiyoso should learn from his past mistakes'

Despite their criticism of Governor Sutiyoso and Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo, Jakartans remain hopeful that the pair will prove them wrong and make the city a better place to live through their enlightened leadership.

Ndari, 24, an English teacher at an English school on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta. She has been teaching for six years and now resides in Pondok Aren, Tangerang, with her family:

We cannot deny the fact that in his previous term, Governor Sutiyoso failed to cope with the complex problems of the city.

Had he been aware of his incompetence, he would have resigned from his post.

I think most Jakartans now need a good leader who can bring about good governance. Unfortunately, the inaugurated city leaders do not represent what the people need.

The reelection of Sutiyoso reflects the failure of democracy, as the city councillors obviously ignored the public's wishes. Democracy in Jakarta, if I may say, has deteriorated.

As far as I'm concerned, if Governor Sutiyoso and Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo are able to produce good things, they might gain public sympathy. That's what I want as a city resident.

Nari, 45, works at a print company in Central Jakarta. This native Jakartan lives in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, with his four children and wife:

I am impartial in this case, being just an ordinary person. How can I respond to what the public sees as the unfavorable facts -- that Sutiyoso was reelected as city governor.

Everybody knows about his poor performance in his previous term. But as a human, he is bound to improve by learning from his mistakes.

I guess that the social and economic problems in the city are not solely his responsibility, but the responsibility of all the city residents. He is just the governor, not the president.

What we need to do is just wait and see. We should give them a chance to make good on their promises to the city residents.

Edi, 45, works for a company in Central Jakarta. He recently moved from Jakarta to Depok, West Jakarta, with his children and wife:

Personally I can say that Governor Sutiyoso is a good leader, despite the public controversy.

I know lots of people have protested against him because of his incompetence in governing the city. But that was partly due to his incompetent and corrupt subordinates who failed to execute his orders properly.

Besides, I don't think all the protesters really dislike him. It was just the power of money that made them stage rallies.

Let's support both the leaders and encourage them to learn from their past failures so they can perform better in the future.

Waska, 39, a part-time employee at a foreign embassy in Central Jakarta. He lives on Jl. Otto Iskandar Dinata in East Jakarta with his wife:

As an ordinary person, I just follow what happens in society. Which is to say, I can't do anything to stop (the inauguration of) Governor Sutiyoso and his deputy Fauzi. It's too hard to go against the flow.

In this light, ordinary people are like consumers who must accept something regardless of their preference. Like it or not we must accept (Sutiyoso and Fauzi).

In my opinion, living in the metropolitan is similar to living in the jungle. The strongest person is the one who gets power. The richer a person is, the more powerful he is. That's the law.

So the best thing to do is just focus and get by in our own lives. That's all we can do to survive in the city.

-- Leo Wahyudi S