Poll body counts out independent hopefuls

JAKARTA: The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) disqualified ret. Commodore Mulyo Wibisono and former Home Ministry special staff member Ngadisah from the registration process for independent candidates for the upcoming gubernatorial election.

“They registered before midnight on Sunday, but they only obtained support from about 125,000 residents,” KPUD executive Jamaluddin F. Hasyim said on Monday.

In order to officially register to join the election, independent candidates are required to gather the signatures and copies of ID cards from 4 percent of citizens, or 407,340 people in the city. The registration period for independent aspirants ended on Sunday and the commission is to verify the documents handed in by the applicants until Feb. 27.

He said that the commission would have to verify a combined 1.5 million supporters from three pairs of independent hopefuls: retired Rear Marshal Prayitno Ramelan and businessman Teddy Suratmadji; economist Faisal Basri and entrepreneur Biem Benjamin and Maj. Gen. (ret.) Hendardji Soepandji and politician Ahmad Riza Patria.