Ballot remains blank in W. Java gubernatorial election

Arya Dipa, The Jakarta Post, Bandung | Archipelago | Mon, November 05 2012, 5:31 PM

On the second day of candidate registration for the West Java gubernatorial election, officials say no candidate pairs have come forward to register, despite the fact that many public figures have publicly announced a willingness to run for the province’s top posts.

“No one has registered yet,” Yayat Hidayat, the head of the West Java General Elections Commission, said in Bandung on Monday.

The candidate registration period is slated to close on Nov. 10, but may be extended should the commission fail to receive enough registrants.

“We need at least one pair of independent candidates and one pair of political party-backed candidates to hold the election in compliance with the election law. So, we will extend the registration if we don’t get those candidate pairs,” Yayat said.

A number of public figures — ranging from politicians to entertainers — have announced their intentions to run for West Java’s top job. They include anticorruption activist Teten Masduki, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Rieke Dyah Pitaloka, former South Sumatra Police chief Ins. Gen. (ret.) Dikdik Mulyana and veteran actor Deddy Mizwar.

West Java, with more than 43 million residents, is the most populous and the most densely populated province in the country. It is also home to a number of strategic industrial areas, where hundreds of multinational manufacturers operate. (swd)