Indonesia: Jakarta Governor Race Heats Up

A survey conducted by the Indonesian Survey Circle showed that incumbent Fauzi “Foke” Bowo is leading in the Jakarta governor election. Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. Paired with Nachrowi Romli, Foke (as popularly called) has 49.1 percent chance of winning in the election. The popular candidates, Joko Widodo and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, meanwhile, are in the second position with 14.4 percent.

The survey is actually opposite with what many Jakartans feel. Some people think Foke can't manage Jakarta's main problems, such as traffic and the drainage.

@PokijanAcil: Kl sy bisa jalan 1km naik mobil, 1,5 jam. Thanks to macet jakarta. RT @tempodotco: Foke: Sy Bs Lari 10 Km Krg dr 1jam http://bit.ly/HujO4W

@PokijanAcil: “By car I drove 1 km within 1.5 hours. Thanks to the traffic.” Regarding the medical test for the candidates, Foke said he can run 10 km with less than 1 hour

@adicumi_ratis: Mari bersama-sama kita dukung “FOKE MENJADI MANTAN GUBERNUR DKI JAKARTA”

@adicumi_ratis: “Let's support Foke to be FORMER governor of Jakarta.”

Jakarta Governor Fauzi “Foke” Bowo. Photo from Flickr page of East-West Center


A harsh judgment came from @TrioMacan2000 who tweeted about the deterioration of Jakarta as capital of Indonesia:

jakarta adalah kota besar satu2nya di dunia yg gubernurnya menghilangkan lapangan sepakbola dan gantikannya dengan hotel

Jakarta is the only big city in the world where governor displaced a football field with a hotel

Jakarta adalah satu2 kota besar didunia yg minim transportasi massal. Hanya busway yg jadwalnya tak teratur, sumpek dan tak manusiawi

Jakarta is the only big city in the world with minimum mass transportation system. Only busway available with uncertain schedule, always packed with people, and inhuman conditions

Jakarta adalah satu2nya kota besar di dunia yg punya hutan kota kuramg dari 10% luas kotanya. Standar intenasional 40%

Jakarta is the only big city in the world with less than 10 percent of green area. International standard is 40 percent

Jakarta juga adaalah kota besar di dunia yg ada Mal di pusat kota yg berjarak hanya 2 meter dari jalan utama ( mal semanggi)

Jakarta is also a big city in the world with mall located downtown and only 2 meters away from main road (Semanggi mall)

Jakarta adalah satu2nya kota besar didunia yg tidak sediakan trotoar yg manusiawi utk warganya, taman/hutan kota pun minim, parkir apalagi [continued] Sarana gedung2 itu seperti : parkir, tempat ibadah, taman dst…sgt minim bahkan sering tidak ada. Dizinkan semua karena suap ke pemprov DKI

Jakarta is the only big city in the world without an adequate pedestrian lane for its people, minimum public park, and vehicle park, also [continued] building facilities such as car parks, prayer rooms, public parks, etc… almost unavailable. Everything permitted because the government is corrupt

Seand Munir, as written in Kompasiana, Indonesia's big blogging community, doesn't understand why Foke is confidently running for another term:

Tak ada sedikit pun prestasi Foke selama memimpin Jakarta. Tak ada rintisan perbaikan dan pembangunan apalagi pengatasan masalah-masalah rutin di Jakarta.

Apakah ini semata-mata benar dugaan orang orang bahwa pencalonan itu berkaitan dengan duit setoran balon ke partai?

There's none of Foke's achievement during his period. There is no improvement and development, not to mention Jakarta's regular problems.Or is it true with what people are thinking that election candidacies are based on the candidates’ contributions to the party?

Another blogger, Sipiliang, was even harsher:

…Namun Foke tidak memanfaatkan kesempatan itu. Jakarta tambah semrawut. Bahkan untuk meneruskan pembangunan saja tidak. Gubernur berkumis ini malah membuka proyek-proyek baru yang penuh dengan uang setoran. Foke tidak berfokus pada pembangunan manusia Jakarta, yang tentu bukan masyarakat asli saja….

…Lupakan Fauzi Bowo, sekarang kita punya alternatif pilihan yang lebih baik.

… But Foke doesn't have the chance. Jakarta has become more chaotic. Foke can't even continue the city's development. Instead, the stashed figure developing new projects full with “tribute” money. Foke doesn't have any focus to improve Jakarta people, which is not only native Jakartans.””…Forget Fauzi Bowo, we now have better candidates.

There are six pairs of candidates for the Jakarta governor election. The other candidates are Alex Noerdin-Nono Sampono, Hidayat Nur Wahid-Didik Rachbini; including two independent candidates, Hendardji Soepandi-Ariza Patria and Faisal Basri-Biem Benyamin.

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