JAKARTA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION ENDS PEACEFULLY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 19 (Antara) - The second round of Jakarta gubernatorial election ran smoothly and peacefully on Wednesday with Anies Bawedan-Sandiaga Uno pair winning the runoff based on quick counts.          According to the results of the quick counts of a number of pollsters, Baswedan won the election against incumbent Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok who paired up with Vice Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat.          "We have just received reports that 90 percent of the votes have been counted, and based on the quick count results, Jakarta will have a new governor and a new deputy governor," Prabowo Subianto, the general chairman of Gerindra, stated at his residence. Gerindra is the political party which nominated Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno in the Jakarta regional head election.           Based on the quick count conducted by Indobarometer, Baswedan won 58.50 percent of the votes against Ahok who grabbed 41.50 percent; Charta Politika gave Baswedan a victory of 57.87 percent against Ahok with 42.13 percent; and Voxpul Center quick count revealed the victory of Baswedan by winning 59.40 percent of the votes against Ahok who won 40.60 percent.           "On Dec 23, 2016, we started in this place, and today we are here again. I congratulate Baswedan and Uno. This is the victory of all Indonesian people, the victory of democracy. It is inseparable from the support of national figures," Prabowo noted, congratulating Baswedan-Uno for the success.

PEOPLE ASKED TO SECURE REGIONAL HEAD ELECTIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 6 (Antara) - The National Police (Polri) has asked candidates, supporters and people of all walks of life to help secure the simultaneous regional head elections in 101 regions to be held across the country next week.         Polri hopes that all the supporters of candidate pairs and the people, in general, will maintain favorable conditions where voters can conveniently cast their votes without intimidation and pressures, so that the festival of democracy would run well and smoothly with good democratic values.         "We ask all contestants of the regional head elections, supporters and people to help create secure and peaceful conditions so that the people's democratic festivities would run well," Polri's Public Relations Division Head Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar said in Jakarta on Friday (Feb 3).           The national police also called on the people to not do anything that could trigger conflicts among the people, particularly among supporters of the contesting pairs, both before and after the polling day.           Favorable conditions are badly required before and after the voters cast their ballot papers, so that the ballot counting from the polling stations to the upper levels would be smooth without disruptions.        "We hope the regional head elections will proceed normally without any disturbance or conflict," Amar stated.

CIKEAS COALITION UPBEAT OVER ITS CANDIDATES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 24 (Antara) - The Cikeas Coalition of four political parties announced on Friday its candidates Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and his running mate Sylviana Murni, who will contest the Jakarta gubernatorial election on February 15, 2017.         The coalition, composed of the Democrat Party (PD), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB), is convinced that Agus, first son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Sylviana Murni, currently a deputy governor of Jakarta for tourism and culture, will be an ideal pair for the people of Jakarta in the election.        "The Agus-Sylviana pair will provide a strong alternative to the people of Jakarta. They will build Jakarta fairly and evenly and be down to earth and appreciate the people's rights well," Didi Mukrianto, an associate chairman of the PD's Central Executive Board, said in Jakarta Friday.         Although being belittled by the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), one of the four parties nominating incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), and his running mate incumbent Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, the Agus-Sylviana duo, it is believed by its supporters, will be able to defeat the Ahok-Djarot pair.\

KPU REOPENS REGISTRATION FOR REGIONAL HEAD ELECTIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 6 (Antara) -- Seven regions were facing issues in implementing the simultaneous regional head elections (pilkada) for having less than two tickets.         However, the problem has been resolved for the time being as the General Elections Commission (KPU) has reopened the registration for the pilkada.         The KPU had closed the registration on August 3, but till the deadline, only one pair of candidates had registered in seven regions.         The simultaneous regional head elections, which were scheduled to be held across the country on December 9, could not be organized in these places with only one ticket.         However, the problem has been resolved, at least temporarily, following a recommendation from the General Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) that the KPU open another round of registration for the seven regions.          With the opening of another round of registration, the seven regions are expected to have more than one ticket so that they can take part in the pilkada.          During the elections, voters across the country will simultaneously elect governors in nine provinces, district heads in 224 districts, and mayors in 36 municipalities.          Based on the recommendation of the Bawaslu, the KPU finally decided to open another round of registration from August 9 to August 11.