D

espite campaigning for reforms, political parties keep sustaining political dynasties in the country with party elites continuing to nominate spouses or relatives of former local leaders to run for top positions in provinces, cities and regencies.

Such practices are happening in Gorontalo with the candidacy of Hannah Hasanah, the wife of former Gorontalo governor Fadel Muhammad, in the province’s upcoming gubernatorial election.

Gorontalo’s General Elections Commission (KPUD) chairman Muhammad N. Tuli said Wednesday four pairs of candidates would run for the local election. He confirmed that Hannah would register with her running mate Tony Yunus on Friday afternoon.

Currently, Hannah is a member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), whose speaker Irman Gusman was arrested by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators for alleged bribery.

Meanwhile, Tony is a former deputy regent of Gorontalo.

The Hannah-Tony pair was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Islamic-leaning United Development Party (PPP).

Incumbent Rusli Habibie and running mate Idris Rahim, nominated by the Golkar Party, are expected to register their candidacy on Friday morning.

Aside from the political dynasties’ issue, the upcoming regional elections are also seeing candidates ignore political ethics as with incumbent Mentawai Islands deputy regent Rijel Samaloisa, who has left office to challenge his boss, incumbent regent Yudas Sabaggalet, in the February election. A similar contest will occur in Payakumbuh with Payakumbuh deputy mayor Suwandel Muchtar challenging his senior, incumbent mayor Riza Falepi, in the polls.

They are scheduled to register their candidacies at the local KPUD on Friday at the latest.

Mentawai Islands KPUD technical division member Bastian Sirirui told The Jakarta Post only two pairs, Yudas Sabaggalet-Kortanius Sabaggalet and Rijel Samaloisa-Binsar Saleleubaja, would register for the polls.

“No independent candidates have registered,” he told the Post on Wednesday.

Mentawai Islands chapter of the PDI-P chairman Jan Winnen Sipayung said the party endorsed the Yudas-Kortanius candidacy.

The PDI-P has managed to retain regents from the party for the past three terms and Jan expresses optimism the pair will also be able to win the election.

“I don’t know the main reason behind the incumbent [and deputy] no longer wishing to continue their duet. Anyhow, based on our internal selection, the party’s central board [DPP] eventually decided that Yudas, a PDI-P member, be paired with Mentawai Islands Golkar Party chairman Kortanius Sabaggalet,” said Jan on Wednesday.

In Banjarnegara, Central Java, Chinese-Indonesian businessperson Budi Sarwono and his running mate Syamsuddin registered with the KPUD to contest the February election.

The pair was endorsed by the Golkar, PPP and Democratic parties.

Budi, who is in the construction sector, and Syamsuddin went to the KPUD office on a steamroller. Before reaching the office, the pair staged an act of public service by mending potholes on Jl. Selamanik in the city.

Banjarnegara KPUD chairman Gugus Risdaryanto said the Budi-Syamsuddin pairing was the first to register for the election. “I have checked their documents and they’re eligible [to contest the election],” he told the press.

Separately, the KPUD in Jayapura welcomed two candidate pairings Abisai Rollo-Dipo Wibowo and Benhur Tommy Mano-Haji Rustan Saru for registration. Both pairs claimed to have been endorsed by Golkar.

Jayapura KPUD chairman Jeremias Numberi said his team would check the validity of the party’s endorsements for the candidates. “We will check if the party’s endorsement is valid, as the Golkar Party can only endorse one candidate,” he added.

— Agus Maryono and Nethy Dharma Somba contributed to this reporting