PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN RECENT LOCAL ELECIONS LOW BUT CRUCIAL by Fardah

Jakarta, Dec 12, 2015 (Antara) - The number of female candidates contesting in the recent simultaneous regional head elections (pilkada) 2015 was relatively small, but their participation has been considered crucial to make Indonesia¿s politics more humane.

        The pilkada held simultaneously in 264 regions in 32 out of Indonesia's 34 provinces was participated in by 810 pairs of regional head candidates. They included 123 women contesting for regional heads or deputy regional heads, or only 7.32 percent of the total candidates.

        The General Election Commission (KPU) is expected to announce the results of the pilkada on December 18 and 19, 2015. But, some media have quoted preliminary results based on quick-count reports.

        At least 30 women are believed to have won the local elections, including 22 women as districts heads or mayors, while the rest as deputy district heads or deputy mayors.

        Lawmaker and former top model Okky Asokawati of the United Development Party (PPP) lauded the victory of the women candidates in the pilkada.

        "Female regional heads are the symbols of women in politics," Asokawati stated December 10.

       "Although we are still awaiting the official results to be announced by the General Elections Commission (KPU), at least 22 female candidates have won according to quick count reports," the legislator affirmed.

        She congratulated the winners and expressed hope that the women regional heads would help to make politics in Indonesia more humane rather than antagonistic.

        Asokawati hoped that the women would formulate pro-people development programs that could improve the welfare of the public, in general, and women and children, in particular.

        "Issues related to the health of women, children, and senior citizens must become a priority in the regional development programs," she stated.

        Women-led regions must be declared as corruption-free zones, she added.

        Meanwhile, Golkar politician Meutya Hafid is of the view that the Indonesian voters have become more mature so they see that female candidates are equal to the male ones.

        However, the number of female candidates supported by political parties was too small, the legislator regretted.

        Among female candidates believed to have won the pilkada are Airin Rachmi Diany (incumbent, mayor of South Tangerang, Banten Province), Ratu Tatu Chasanah (district head of Serang, Banten), Tri Rismaharini (incumbent, the mayor of Surabaya, East Java Province), Sri Sumarni (district head of Grobogan, Central Java Province), and Cellica Nurrachadiana (district head of Karawang, West Java Province), in addition to Neni Moerniaeni (mayor of Bontang, East Kalimantan Province), and Rita Widyasari (district head of Kutai Kertanegara, East Kalimantan).

        There are also Chusnunia (district head of East Lampung, Lampung Province), Asmah Gani (district head of Nunukan, North Kalimantan), Ilmiati Daud (deputy district head of Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi Province), and Indah Putri Indriani (district head of North Luwu, South Sulawesi Province), in addition to Anna Sophana (district head of Indramayu, West Java), and Kartika Hidayati (deputy district head of Lamongan, East Java).

        Other likely winners include Vonnie Anneke Panambuan (district head of North  Minahasa, North Sulawesi Province), Irna Narulita (district head of Pandeglang, Banten), I Gusti Ayu Mas Sumantri (district head of Karangasem, Bali Province), and Indah Damayanti Putri (district head of Bima, West Nusa Tenggara Province), along with Faida (district head of Jember, East Java), Haryanti (district head of Kediri, East Java),  Christine E Paruntu (district head of South Minahasa, North Sulawesi), and Neti Herawati (deputy district head of  Kepahiang, Bengkulu).

         Mirna Annisa (district head of Kendal, Central Java), Hairiah (deputy district head of Sambas, West Kalimantan), Badingah (district head of Gunung Kidul, Central Java), and Sri Muslimatin (deputy district head of Sleman, Central Java), along with Merya Nur (deputy district head of Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi), are also expected to win.

         Hevearita Gunaryanti (deputy mayor of Semarang, Central Java), Yulis Suti Sutri (deputy district head of Kuar, Bengkulu), Kusdinar Untung Yuni Sukowati (district head of Sragen, Central Kalimantan), and Sophia Fatah (deputy district head of Batanghari, Jambi) could also be among the winners.

       Indonesia's first-ever simultaneous pilkada was initially planned to be organized in 269 regions, or 53 percent of the country's total regions, but the KPU announced on December 8 that elections in the five regions would be postponed.

       The five regions are Central Kalimantan Province, Fakfak District in Papua, Pematang Siantar municipality in North Sumatra, Simalungun District in North Sumatra, and Manado city in North Sulawesi, according to KPU Commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay.

       Of the total participating regions, three had only a single candidate each: Blitar in East Java, Tasikmalaya in West Java, and North Timor Tengah in East Nusa Tenggara. In such cases, a feedback was sought from the voters whether the sole candidate pair was acceptable to them.
    The 810 pairs of regional head candidates, including 122 incumbents, contested for the posts of eight governors and vice governors, 222 district heads and their deputies, and 34 mayors and their deputies.

         According to data recently provided by the KPU, some 100,461,890 Indonesians comprising 50,297,463 men and 50,164,427 women were eligible as voters in the 2015 pilkada. ***2***
(F001/INE/O001)

(T.F001/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 12-12-2015 11:56:40