Comment: Independent candidates win Kupang election

Paper Edition | Page: 8

June 28, p. 5

Independent Kupang mayoral candidate pair Yonas Salean-Hermanus Man were named Kupang mayor- and deputy mayor-elect for the 2012–2017 period after winning the second round of the Kupang mayoral election on Wednesday evening.

The pair secured just over 57 percent of the vote, with 88,696 votes out of the 155,111 cast.

Your comments:

I congratulate Yonas Salean and Hermanus Man.

They have a massive task ahead in turning the severe development neglect caused by the corruption of previous administrations around.

Kupang, the capital of NTT, is the most under-developed provincial capitals in the country. It lacks most basic services, such as potable water supply, while health facilities and infrastructure are in a terrible state of neglect.

The same goes for the education infrastructure and sports facilities.

Although sufficient budgets have been allocated and funded by taxpayers and the central government, endemic corruption has only seen Kupang reverse in terms of development.

It is a very sorry state of affairs that all hope will be improved by the newly elected mayor.

I hope and pray he will not disappoint!

Henry Manoe