Mayoral candidates promised peaceful campaign

Multa Fidrus ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Tangerang   |  Wed, 10/08/2008 2:57 PM  |  Jakarta

All candidates running in the upcoming mayoral election in Tangerang promised to hold peaceful compaigns and vowed to focus on improving the welfare of local residents if they were elected.

Running mates Wahidin Halim and Arief Wismansyah, Ismed Sadeli Hasan and Mahfud Abdullah, and Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar and Diedy Farid Wadji made the statement in a joint-declaration at the municipal election commission (KPUD) office on Wednesday.

KPUD chairman Imron Khamami said that the next phase of the election each pair of candidat have to follow after the joint-declaration was read out is that they will have to deliver vission and mission on Thursday.

“All phases of the election have been designed and prepared well and we have informed the public about that,” he said.

Each pair of candidates promised that if they were elected, improvements would be made in the areas of health care, education, infrastructure, agribusiness, industry, trade and tourism as well as to develop human resources in the area.

Tangerang municipality will hold its first direct election on November 26.

Incumbent mayor Wahidin Halim is so confident of securing a second term with his running mate, Arief Wismansyah, president director of Sari Asih Group that manages several hospitals in Tangerang and Serang. They are backed by a coalition of 15 political parties.

The coaltion supporting their compaign is made up of several major parties including the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), the Democratic Party (PD), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Star Crescent (PBB), the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the National Awakening Party (PKB). Bonie and Diedy are backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) while Ismet and Mahfudz have put themselves up as independent candidates.

Wahidin said he would prioritize several initiatives if reelected, including the construction of the long-waited Haj dormitory for Banten province near the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. He would focusing on improving tachers’s welfare, developing more vocational schools and community health centers, as well as keeping on building a morale sociaty with Akhlaqul Kharimah vision he is committed to.

"Most of residents I met in a series of direct visits to subdistricts in 13 districts told me that they still need me. I don't want to disappoint them. I believe I will be elected again," Wahidin said. Ismed Sadeli Hasan said he would focus on poverty alleviation and the improvement of health services, the economy and education.

Bonie Mudfijar said Tangerang residents had to look at the election in a positive light as it would determine the municipality's future. "The election is one of the blessings of democracy, so we should thank God and make good use of it," he said.

Meanwhile, pollwatch chairman Sapril Elain who also present was during the declaration said the pollwatch had only found administrative violations made by the pair of Wahidin Halim-Arief Wismansyah.

“Wahidin Halim-Arief Wismansyah is the only pair who had kicked off political compaigns before the compaign periode starts. We will soon remove all banners and atributes they placed on the street soon,” he said.

The joint-declaration specified that all candidates would hold their election campaigns between Oct. 10 and 22. Tangerang municipality, which will celebrate its 16th anniversary on Feb. 28, is home to 1.5 million people.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.