P

olitical parties used to deploy actors to attract voters at rallies. These days, however, actors have moved to the center stage of the electoral process and are seeking high office in the nation’s most populous province, West Java.

At least three actors will slug it out in West Java’s gubernatorial election slated for early next year: Rieke Diah Pitaloka; Dede Yusuf, who is currently West Java’s deputy governor; and Deddy Mizwar.

“It’s obvious that political parties still rely on candidates’ fame to secure votes. This is a strategic move to take West Java due to the province’s vast size,” political analyst Ari Dwipayana from Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM) told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

“However, parties must remember that popularity is not the only determining factor in winning voters. A candidate’s likability and electability are also important,” he added.

The candidates face a huge task in courting the more than 36.6 million voters in the province.

Ari said that the upcoming election would divide voters into two camps: traditionalists and rationalists.

“People from rural areas will likely vote based on traditional choices, thus preferring candidates who promote religious and cultural values; while those from West Java’s urban and industrial parts will vote for figures who they believe will bring change,” he said.

Separately, Siti Zuhro, a researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said that the results of West Java’s last gubernatorial election reflected the specific concerns of the province’s residents.

“Although West Java is neighboring to Jakarta, the character of the people is completely different. The victory of Pak Ahmad Heryawan from the PKS [Prosperous Justice Party] in the previous election shows the kind of leader that is preferred by most of the people.”

Incumbent West Java Governor Heryawan has announced his attention to seek reelection with Deddy Mizwar on the lower half of the ticket.

“We have decided to pair Deddy with the incumbent governor,” Hidayat Nur Wahid, the lawmaker who leads PKS legislators in the House of Representatives (DPR), said on Friday.

“He [Deddy] is known as a charismatic and clean figure. We believe his popularity will help boost Pak Heryawan’s chances to win the gubernatorial race.”

Deddy, who is also a noted film director, is famous for starring local sinetron (soap operas) such as Para Pencari Tuhan (God Seekers) and Lorong Waktu (Time Tunnel) that tout Islamic values.

Hidayat said that the PKS would officially declare Deddy’s nomination on Saturday, the day before the General Elections Commission (KPU) closes registration for the gubernatorial race.

Dede was backed by the National Mandate Party (PAN) when he ran for deputy governor and has garnered support from the Democratic Party to run for governor.

The deputy governor, who was an actor in the 1980s and 1990s, will run on a ticket with former West Java secretary Lex Laksamana.

Meanwhile, Rieke is famous for her leading role in the comedy Bajaj Bajuri. She is currently a lawmaker on House Commission IX on health and manpower and has been nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI-P) on a ticket with antigraft activist Teten Masduki.

The actors may not be the only celebrity candidates in West Java. The Golkar Party is also reportedly considering nominating singers Ahmad Dhani or Desy Ratnasari to run on a ticket under its West Java chairman, Irianto MS Syafiuddin, to lead the 49 million people residing in the country’s most populous and most densely populated province.