With its star-studded lineup of candidates, the mayoral race in South Tangerang – one of the fastest developing satellite cities of Jakarta – is being billed by many political analysts as a competitive electoral contest ahead of the Dec. 9 polls. Participants of the race include former local bureaucrats, the current deputy mayor and politically wired figures with connections to local and national political elites. The city, with around 1.7 million inhabitants, has a strategic importance to the candidates, with political analysts saying the election winners could potentially be worth watching on the national political stage. Former regional secretary Muhamad is running for mayor with running mate Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo, the niece of Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto. Meanwhile, incumbent Deputy Mayor Benyamin Davnie is hoping to succeed the current mayor, Airin...