Jakarta, Kompas – Support from the political "roots" of presidential candidates continues to be a big factor in getting votes in elections. The [success of] the Democratic Party, which aside from being determined by the [recently resigned Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono factor, is also being influenced by the strength of the support from the TNI (armed forces) and police community and retired military officers. Meanwhile, for the National Mandate Party (PAN), party chairperson Amien Rais also has around 80 per cent of support from members of [the Islamic mass organisation] Muhammadiyah.
This can be seen from the tabulated data at the Jakarta National Election Committee which by Thursday had reached 26 per cent of the total number of votes.
In almost all of the village level political administrative districts (kelurahan) and sub-districts were there are TNI or police complexes, votes for the Democratic Party who are nominating Yudhoyono as their president candidate are far superior in comparison with other political parties.
In the Cijantung kelurahan of the Rebo market in East Jakarta, where an elite special forces Kopassus complex is located, the Democratic Party was in first position obtaining 922 votes followed by the Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) and [President Megawati Sukarnoputri's] Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). In Cilangkap kelurahan, Cipayung, East Jakarta, were the TNI's headquarters are located, the Democratic Party scored 1,161 votes followed by the PKS and the [former state ruling party] Golkar.
In Setu kelurahan the Democratic Party scored 1,140 votes followed by PKS and Golkar. In West Kelapa Gading kelurahan, North Jakarta, were there is a navy complex, the Democratic Party was ahead of the PKS and PDI-P with 2,946 votes. In the Kelapa Dua Wetan kelurahan, Ciracas, were there is a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) barracks, the Democratic Party is leading shadowed by PKS and PDI-P.
If the scope is widened to the sub-district level in Jakarta, were there are TNI and or police complexes, the Democratic Party continues to be on top. In the Kelapa Gading sub-district, the Democratic Party obtained 7,463 votes, twice the number of votes obtained by the Peace and Prosperity Party who ranked second. In the Tanjung Priok sub-district, the Rebo market and the Ciracas sub-district, the Democratic Party was also in first position. This is despite the fact that in the 1999 elections, these areas were PDI-P "zones".
Yudhoyono himself has explained that support by the TNI and police community is their own personal choice and there has been no systematic effort to mobilise them. However as he himself has admitted, a number of members of the Democratic Party's success tem are retired TNI officers. The chairperson of the Democratic Party's Election Victory Body is retired Air Marshal Suratto Siswodihardjo and the chairperson of the success team nominating Yudhoyono as president is retired Lieutenant General M. Makruf.
"Well beforehand we mobilised the members of the Association of Retired Officers and Army Widows to support political parties like the Democratic Party", said the general chairperson of the Association of Retired Military Officers (Pepabri), retired Inspector General Putera Astaman. (DWA/inu)
[Abridged translation by James Balowski. The second part of the article which was not translated was on the drop in support for PAN but the continuing popularity of Rais among members of Muhammadiyah.]