Culture influences Lampung elections

People from outside Lampung may be amazed seeing that there are seven pairs of candidates taking part in Wednesday's gubernatorial elections.

The main contest may become a battle between the chairman of the Golkar Party's Lampung branch Alzier Dianis Thabranie and incumbent Governor Sjachroedin Z.P., but one can by no means take the other candidates lightly.

Alzier is determined to run because he wishes to take revenge on his former brother-in-law, as he felt he should have been the rightful Lampung governor himself.

Despite winning an election at the end of December 2002, Alzier was not appointed as governor. Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri annulled his victory, as he was involved in a number of legal cases.

A repeat election saw Sjachroedin elected governor.

A few years later the Supreme Court found in favor of Alzier, but the central government still did not appoint him as governor on the grounds that a legitimate governor had already been assigned in accordance with the law.

"I would like to go head to head with Sjachroedin if possible. Let the people of Lampung chose between us as governor," said Alzier two years ago.

However, his wish for a straight fight with Sjachroedin is unlikely to come true as the Lampung General Elections Commission (KPUD) had just approved the applications of seven pairs of candidates -- Sjachroedin Z.P. and M.S. Djoko Umar Said (nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle), Alzier Dianis Thabranie and Brig. Gen. Bambang Sudibyo (Golkar and the National Awakening Party), Zulkifli Anwar and Akhmadi Sumaryanto (the Justice and Prosperous Party and National Mandate Party), Oemarsono and Thomas Aziz Riska (minor parties), Andy Achmad Sampurnajaya and M. Suparjo (Reform Star Party and Democrat Party) and two independent candidate pairs, Muhajir Utomo and Andi Arief and Sofjan Jacoeb and Bambang Waluyo Utomo.

The Lampung gubernatorial election has the most candidates for any such election in Indonesia, including the two pairs of independent candidates. Lampung also has the largest number of candidates for the election of a regional head (for a regency). The multi candidate phenomenon, however, is best explained by local culture.

Cultural observer Isbedy Setiawan Z.S. said the phenomenon was ascribed to the piil pesenggiri life philosophy imbued by Lampung people which means "no retreat or backing down". In their daily lives, people local to Lampung refuse to allow their dignity to be belittled and will not allow themselves to be looked down on.

For them, this position must be maintained at all costs. No wonder that candidates with high self esteem refuse to back down.

"That's what's probably happening in the gubernatorial elections, on the same lines as the North Lampung regency elections, where there are six candidates, also scheduled on Wednesday," said Isbedy.

"But candidates still have family ties with one another."

Isbedy said that recently the piil pesenggiri philosophy was often misunderstood as defending a person's pride in an exaggerated manner.

Another observer, Syaiful Irba Tanpaka, said the philosophy has been present during past centuries and remains in practice.

"Ethnic conflicts were also be subdued thanks to the philosophy passed down through the generations," he said.

"I'm positive the Lampung direct leadership elections will not be marred by conflicts as in other areas of Indonesia, despite being contested by many candidates."

For the public, especially those from lower income groups and printers, the more the merrier, as it means they could do well out of it all.

"We accept everything given by the candidates, but who we vote for later depends on what we do when we are inside the voting booth," said pedicab driver Bahrudin, 46, in Panjang district, Bandarlampung.

He said he had collected seven T-shirts from the candidates besides cash, rice, cooking oil, sugar and coffee.

Meanwhile Agus Sahar, a printing firm owner in Bandarlampung, said printing firms were doing well.

"Orders for banners and posters have risen 300 percent. The printers, from large to small-scale, are getting their share of the windfall," he said.