Two-round election gives Bogor new mayor

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Diani Budiarto, the incumbent assistant for development affairs, and M. Sahid, the Bogor Council speaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), won the Bogor mayoral election on Wednesday.

The election was colored by the presence of paranormal Ki Gendeng Pamungkas, who came out in support of Diani.

Diani and Sahid won the election in a second round of voting, after the first round ended in a tie between the eventual winners and the director of water operator PDAM, Helmi Soetikno, and his running mate Zaenal Amirudin Umar, a deputy speaker of the council from the United Development Party (PPP).

The two pairings received 21 votes each, while legislator Tb Soemandjaya and Pakuan University lecturer Soekmana Soma were knocked out of the election after garnering just three votes in the first round.

In the second round of voting, which began at 1 p.m., Diani and Sahid were declared the winners with 21 votes. Helmi and Zaenal received 18 votes, five ballots were declared invalid and there was one abstention.

Diani's victory was predicted before the voting began by Gendeng.

"As a paranormal who is involved with genies, I deployed 2,300 genies and 750 people to support Diani in the election. If he lost, I would have asked my men to burn tires on the street to make it merrier," he said.

Diani and Sahid's victory was celebrated by Bogor's civil servants, particularly the district and subdistrict chiefs who backed Diani in the election.

Outgoing Bogor Mayor Iswara Natanegara said the election was fair and in accordance with all regulations.

"I just hope that the new mayor will be able to continue the development programs in Bogor city," he said.

About 800 members of the police and military provided security for the election. To ensure there were no disturbances, traffic along Jl. Kapten Muslihat, where the city council building is located, was closed from the morning. Motorists were rerouted to Jl. Paledang.

Five schools along the road -- Regina Pacis, Budi Mulia, Mardiyuana, SMU I state high school and SMP I state junior high school -- were closed for the election. Four nearby banks and a shopping mall were also asked to close their doors on Wednesday.