RI'S POLITICAL PARTIES CONCLUDE ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 5, (Antara) - After working hard for 21 days to present their programs to voters, Indonesian political parties concluded their legislative election campaigns across the country on Saturday.          A total of 12 electoral contestants at the national level entered the cooling-down period for three days beginning on Sunday, before 186.5 million voters go to the polls to cast their votes next Wednesday.          The Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), which many quarters consider to be the most probable winner of the upcoming elections, sent its popular presidential candidate Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, to Papau for its last day of campaigning.            In Papua, a province with relatively small number of eligible voters (3.2 million) but rich in mineral resources, Jokowi expressed his pride. He noted that he was proud to visit the country's most eastern province and personally see its markets' activities.          At an out-door campaign rally which was attended by thousands of cadres and supporters in Jayapura city, Jokowi promised to resolve with the province¿s problems. "I do not want to promise you too much. I think Papua's problems could be resolved with conscience and concrete work, not with promises. I see that Papua has great potentials, but the potentials should be enjoyed as well as possible by the people of Papua," Jokowi said.          The Golkar party, which according to surveys is a tough competitor of PDIP, sent its General Chairman Aburizal Bakri to Surabaya, East Java.  East Java houses the country's second largest voters of 30.51 million, after West Java's 32.71 million.          During the campaign, Aburizal Bakri, who is also Golkar's presidential candidate, was accompanied by two of former president Soeharto's daughters, Siti Hedijati (Titik) and Siti Hardyanti.          "How are you? It isn't that life was better during the New Order and the Golkar era than now," one of the Soeharo's daughters, Siti Hedijati, said to supporters in her speech at Jatim Expo.          Golkar, which was the dominant party during the Soeharto era, has often promoted Soeharto's phrases, such as "Enak Jamanku", to mean "Life is better during my era, isn't it?" in its campaigns.          Ruling Democratic Party chief patron Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono revealed the party's 11 key programs in the last round of the party's campaign at the Delta Sports Stadium in East Java's Sidoarjo district on Saturday.          "During 10 years of my leadership (as the country's president) I have given proof rather than promise. I also have given concrete things rather than discourse," Yudhoyono said in his political oration.          In the 2009 legislative elections, the ruling Democratic Party won 20.85 percent of the total votes of 104,099,785.          In the meantime, Chief Patron and Presidential Candidate of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Prabowo Subianto, visited Bandung, capital of West Java province, to meet with the  "Forum Rembug Warga Jawa Barat" (FRWJB) or the People of West Javanese Forum.          In West Java, which has the largest number of eligible voters (32.71 million), Prabowo expressed his opinion about Jakarta which, he said, has an extraordinary illness. "Leaders in Jakarta are all ill. They are comedians and cheaters," Prabowo said.          The FRWJB, which is composed of various elements of the West Java population, supported  Prabowo's bid for the presidency.  "We believe Prabowo Subianto is able to carry out the message of the people to create prosperity for them. So, the people of West Java support him,  FRWJB  chairman Tubagus Bakti Sudjana said.          In Solo, Central Java, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) used its last day of the campaign to display its president, Anis Matta.  Anis held the last round of the party's campaign events at the Manahan Sports Stadium in the Central Java, city of Solo, on Saturday.         "We began our campaign at the Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Jakarta and concluded our campaign at the Manahan Sports Stadium in Solo. What divine decree is it?" he asked.          Anis Matta said he chose the last round of the party's campaigns in Solo for cultural reasons.          "I come here not to find an enemy. But because Solo is a cultural city, we need a cultural strategy to make Indonesia an advanced nation," he said to the thundering applause from thousands of PKS cadres and supporters.           While Anis Matta is in Solo, PKS's presidential candidate Ahmad Heryawan held a campaign event in Cilegon, Banten. Banten has 7.8 million voters. Heriyawan reiterated his party's target to become one of the big three winners in the coming elections.          "We are convinced that with the blessing of God we will be included as one of the big three election winners. This is regardless of the fact that we have always been belittled by different surveys. We hope that the surveys would be wrong," he said here on Saturday.          In the meantime, self-styled dangdut king Rhoma Irama, who is the National Awakening Party (PKB)'s presidential candidate,  expressed his optimism that the party will win the legislative election in East Java, which is known as its stronghold.         "We are very optimistic that PKB will win in this province. One of the indicators of the victory is the enthusiasm of PKB cadres and supporters at every campaign event," he said when visiting Secretary General of PKB Executive Board Imam Nahrawi at his residence in Kedung Cangkring village in East Java's Sidoarjo district on Saturday.          Rhoma, who is frequently present at the party's campaigns in various parts of East Java, said the campaign events had consistently attracted thousands of people.          "They look very enthusiastic in their struggle, socialize with other people, and dream of PKB winning elections," he said.      PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar earlier predicted the party would gain at least 30 percent of the votes cast in East Java, which would contribute significantly to the party's vote tally nationwide.      Also in East Java, in Kediri district, the National Mandate Party (PAN) held its final day¿s campaign on Saturday.  PAN chairman Hatta Rajasa revealed that his party is still undecided about forming a coalition with other parties to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates in the coming election.          "We are still focusing on the legislative election, yet we also maintain good communications with other parties," he said here on Saturday.          PAN officials have held talks with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), but the talks did not touch on presidential and vice presidential candidates, he said.          Further, PAN continues to conduct surveys to project its vote tally in the legislative election, he said. "We hope that we can do better than we did in the 2009 elections. During the rest of the campaign period, we will try to raise our vote tally," he said.          The United Development Party (PPP) in its campaigning in Sukabumi, West Java on Saturday, said that its target is to win 10 percent of the parliamentary seats, or about 58 seats in the House of Representatives (DPR).          "Especially in West Java, PPP only won eight seats in the DPR in the 2009 legislative elections, but in the next elections we target 13 seats " PPP Regional Executive Board head Reni Marlinawati said.          In the meantime, the National Democratic Party (NasDem) concluded its campaign in Yogyakarta with speeches on morality by its general chairman, Surya Paloh.          "We are scheduled by the General Elections Commission (KPU) to campaign in Yogyakarta. But we thank them for this because Yogyakarta is a historic city. Yogyakarta once served as the country's capital and is rich in culture," said Enggartiasto Lukito, deputy chairman of NasDem's Board of Success Team.***1*** (T.A014/INE) (T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 05-04-2014 21:55:3