The Jakarta Post
The expected victory of South Tangerang deputy mayor Benyamin Davnie and running mate Pilar Saga Ihsan in last week’s mayoral elections has highlighted the advantages of being an incumbent, as an entrenched political dynasty keeps its grip on the fast-developing city. Based on recent General Elections Commission (KPU) data, the Benyamin-Pilar ticket has secured 40.9 percent of the total votes counted, winning some 235,656 ballots and all but ensuring a clear victory over the two rival tickets in the South Tangerang polls. The pair is more than five percentage points ahead of the runners-up, H. Muhamad and Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo, who grabbed 35.6 percent of the votes counted (204,930 ballots), while Siti Nurazizah and Ruhamaben garnered just 23.5 percent (135,122 ballots). All of the votes had been counted as of Wednesday. The results, not official until their ...