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Ahok-Djarot to attract women voters with welfare programs
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Let's vote — Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama (center), along with his wife Veronica Tan (left) and their son, Nicholas Sean Purnama, answers questions from journalists after voting at polling station 54 in Pantai Mutiara, Pluit, North Jakarta, on Feb. 15. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A.)
A
s female voters are likely to outnumber men, the campaign team of Jakarta gubernatorial candidate pair Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and Djarot Saiful Hidayat is preparing to attract women in the runoff election slated for April by highlighting welfare programs.
Campaign team spokesman Raja Juli Antoni said during the campaign period, the Ahok-Djarot pair would use welfare programs currently being implemented by the city administration, such as the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP), a program to cover education funds for the poor, to attract voters.
“According to our data, women favored Pak Ahok because they were interested in his programs,” Raja told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. “We will focus our campaigns on programs that people have really benefited from.”
(Read also: Ahok, Djarot told to take leave again for runoff campaign)
During the campaign period ahead of the Feb. 15 election, including the final candidate debate earlier this month, Ahok highlighted the KJP and integrated child-friendly public spaces (RPTRA) when asked how he would solve issues facing women in the capital.
For the Ahok-Djarot team, education was a solution to other problems, Raja said.
“When women’s education improves, early marriage rates will decline. Thus, domestic violence could be minimized,” Raja said.
During last week’s election, female voter participation was higher than that of men. In 42 of 43 districts, women surpassed men in the voter turnout, according to the People’s Voter Education Network (JPPR), an NGO concerned with voter education.
The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU) recorded that 78.5 percent of 3.51 million registered female voters cast their ballots, compared to the men’s voter turnout of 74.2 percent. (ebf)
