Salim Osman – Thousands of people lined the streets as presidential front runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono turned up on his first campaign trail stop in the North Sulawesi capital.
His convoy of 200 cars and mini buses weaved through the narrow streets of Manado that were festooned with banners welcoming him, campaign posters and flags of his Democrat Party as residents waved and cheered him along the 20km route from the Sam Ratulangi airport to his hotel.
Cheers of "SBY", his initials, were heard from the throngs of supporters and party loyalists standing at the roadside, while hundreds of motorcycles and cars, bearing no party emblem, joined his official motorcade. Traffic police had to stop many other motorists from joining in as the enlarged convoy clogged up the streets.
It underscored Mr Bambang's popularity in the capital of this far-flung province, disproving his critics, who allege his popularity, as reflected in many opinion polls, is confined to Jakarta and the urban centres.
Manado resident Udi, 25, told The Straits Times: "It was like welcoming the arrival of a great leader. Even President Megawati Sukarnoputri didn't get such a reception when she came here to campaign for the April legislative elections."
At his first stop, in a sports field at the Sario district in the afternoon, the 54-year-old retired general was mobbed by an enthusiastic crowd, many of whom tried to shake hands with him as he and his entourage trooped in.
The spectators, cheering "SBY, we love you", had earlier been entertained by a rock group and local artistes who fired them up with popular music. They were also wooed by the presence of several top film stars in Mr Bambang's entourage such as Roy Marten, Anna Tairas and Angelina Sondakh.
Mr Bambang made a short speech from the makeshift stage and enlivened the occasion by singing Pelangi Di Mata Mu (Shadow In Your Eye), a song made popular by local rock group Jamrud. He also obliged with a song requested by his supporters and crooned the evergreen hit by Tati Kadi, Kau Segalanya (You Are Everything).
Dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, the lanky, athletic presidential contender did not go into details on his vision for the country when he was at the rostrum.
He focused on the big picture – better leadership, better government and a better life for people on the ground if he was elected. The keyword, he said, was "change". "Indonesia deserves better leadership, better government and better life for the people. So we have to make the change," he said in the district that has been the stronghold of Ms Megawati's party, the PDI-P.
Mr Bambang, who teams up with a businessman from Sulawesi, Mr Jusuf Kalla, for the July 5 presidential poll, also endeared himself to the crowd when he noted that the province of 2.4 million people had also been hit by a lack of job opportunities, corruption and the sluggish economy.
"The North Sulawesi province is rich in natural resources, with its bountiful agriculture, untapped mining areas and abundant marine products, but the province remains poor. This must change," he said.
He then made passing reference to the concerns of the predominantly Christian province over the country's future as a secular multiracial and multi-religious society in the midst of calls for the implementation of the syariah law.
He told the gathering that he stood for pluralism in the largely Muslim country. "I pledge to maintain the highest level of religious tolerance and will not practise discrimination along religious and ethnic lines," he said.
His words were music to the ears of a local community leader, retired general E. E. Mangindaan, who had earlier put up banners underscoring the brotherhood of the multi-religious community in the province, which in the past has been hit by sectarian violence.
Mr Bambang vowed to uphold the state ideology of Pancasila and promised to protect the Constitution from amendment. He stressed this point again at his next stop – the nearby University of Sam Ratulangi, where he held a dialogue with students and academics. "The character of the Indonesian nation, that hinges on pluralism, must be preserved at all costs," he said.
Undergraduate Hardi Lintong told The Straits Times he was pleased by Mr Bambang's commitment to pluralism in Indonesia. "It's important that a leader like him, who may one day assume the highest office in the land, make clear his stand on the issue," he said.
Before the day was up, Mr Bambang had a goodwill meeting with local community and religious leaders and some of the city's youngsters, who appeared to have warmed to him.
Mr Bambang told The Straits Times: "I got the impression that the people of Manado welcomed my visit warmly. I hope this is real support for me. I also hope that this can be translated into votes on July 5."