PD secures most House seats for Jakarta

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 05/15/2009 1:08 PM  |  Headlines

At least one-third (nine of 21) House of Representatives seats contested in Jakarta, will officially go to candidates from the Democratic Party, the General Election Commission (KPU) says.

Late on Wednesday, in its announcement of the allocation of the 560 House seats for electoral districts across Indonesia, the KPU also said the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) had secured four seats for Jakarta, while the Golkar Party and the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) had got three each.

The United Development Party (PPP) and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) secured the remaining two Jakarta seats.

While the KPU has yet to officially announce the names of all new House members, some candidates who are almost certain to get seats are former National Police deputy chief Adang Daradjatun of the Prosperous Justice Party, former Jakarta deputy governor Harun al-Rasyid, Democratic Party secretary-general Marzuki Alie and PDI-P legislator Effendi Simbolon.

Harun, currently a Regional Representative Council (DPD) member, said he was glad because he had won a tight competition during the general elections.

Running in the Jakarta-3 electoral district with Gerindra, Harun successfully beat some prominent politicians including the People's Conscience Party's Djafar Badjeber and Golkar's Anton Lesiangi.

Also in the list of seat winners are some rookie politicians. PPP's Jakarta chapter campaign manager, Yulte Marjon, said the party's candidate Okky Asokawati, a model turned politician, had successfully secured the party's only seat for Jakarta.

Novelist Nova Riyanti Yusuf of the Democratic Party had also clinched a seat, she confirmed with the Post on Thursday night.

Newcomers like Okky and Nova defeated several experienced politicians including the National Mandate Party's Abdillah Thoha and Ade Daud Nasution, and PKS's Nursanita Nasution - all incumbent legislators.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Agung Laksono, who was earlier rumored to fail his reelection, finally secured a seat for the Jakarta-1 electoral district, beating PKS legislator Rama Pratama and PPP's Arief Mudatsir Mandan, KPU data shows.

Other prominent politicians defeated in Jakarta were Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU) secretary-general Alwi Shihab and Democratic Reform Party (PDP) chairman Roy B.B. Janis. Alwi and Roy, who competed in the Jakarta-2 electoral district, could not secure House seats because their parties had failed to pass the parliamentary threshold of 2.5 percent.

PAN's celebrity candidates comedian Mandra of the Jakarta-1 electoral district and Raslinna Rasidin of Jakarta-3 also did not secure seats.

In the 2009 general elections, the KPU allocated 21 House seats for Jakarta, where more than 7 million voters reside. (hwa)

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