Jakarta – It's a David versus Goliath tale, except that in this case, Goliath, the freshly re-elected Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, looks set to steamroll over his detractors.

Yesterday, around 500 students and NGO activists protested against last week's election, which handed another five-year term to Mr Sutiyoso, a powerful former general who came under fire for alleged corruption and incompetence during his first term in office.

Ms Wardah Hafidz, head of the Urban Poor Consortium, argued that the poll results should be scrapped and a new election held, as there is enough evidence that money politics tainted the process.

Mr Mahfudz Djaelani, a failed gubernatorial candidate, had said last Friday that he and his backers paid 200 million rupiah to 40 of the 84 members of Jakarta's local Parliament to win their support. A further 2 billion rupiah was to be paid following his victory.

Ms Wardah said: "As Sutiyoso won, he obviously offered more money than Mahfudz to the MPs. It is clear to the people that money won the election." Indeed, upon hearing that he had secured 47 votes, Mr Sutiyoso himself reportedly blurted out: "There should have been 49 votes for me."

Asking the government to defer the inauguration of Mr Sutiyoso's second term, Ms Wardah and other activists further argued that the election, which involved only members of the local Parliament, was undemocratic.

"I don't see what's so democratic if only 84 people get to vote, instead of Jakarta's entire population. It should be a direct process and all residents should be able to participate," she said.

Jakarta has around nine million registered people, and in previous surveys conducted by local media, as many as 80 per cent of residents said they would not want Mr Sutiyoso back at the helm.

As it stands right now, Mr Sutiyoso will be confirmed as Governor on October 7, and the Home Affairs Ministry has so far stayed above the fray.

Although it has declined to comment on this issue, it did issue a statement yesterday challenging Mr Sutiyoso's critics to provide absolute proof that money exchanged hands prior to last week.

Mr Sutiyoso has also previously secured the endorsement of President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-President Hamzah Haz. Ms Wardah said: "It does look futile, but we have to try. Sutiyoso is too corrupt and incompetent, and with him in office, Jakarta will have more problems."