ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Five candidates in Surabaya's upcoming mayoral election participated in the first of a planned series of debates on Tuesday, the first campaign day leading up the June 2 poll.
The debate audience responded most favorably to Tri Rismaharini, head of Surabaya's planning agency – and the only woman candidate – and independent candidate Fitradjaya Purnamain. The other candidates – Bagio F. Sutadi, Fandi Utomo and Arif Afandi – were not as well regarded by the crowd.
If elected, Risma would be the first woman mayor of East Java's capital city. "I may be the only female candidate, but I'm not afraid of the job," she told The Jakarta Post after the debate.
Risma is no political newcomer. As head of Surabaya's park agency, she entered the spotlight after she created more parks in the city, increased city revenues and implemented E-proc, Surabaya's online tender management system. "I have shown that I can do the job," she said.
Risma's nomination is supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
Fitradjaya, a former activist and an independent candidate nominated by local NGOs, made several proposals that received large applause from the audience.
"There is only one way to reduce traffic jams in Surabaya," Fitradjaya said. "It is by promoting public transport and banning cars with 'non-L' (license plate) numbers from entering the city." he added. A "non-L" license plate number indicates a vehicle licensed outside Surabaya.
Fitradjaya also suggested that Surabaya voters accept money offered by election candidates, but vote for him in the elections.
Fitradjaya, a graduate of the November 10 Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya, said that Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubowono X supported his candidacy.
He said that he was presenting "an honest political style", and that people were tired of politics-as-usual. "That's why I chose to run as independent candidate. People support honesty in politics," he said.
Risma and Fitradjaya did not impress the debate's moderators, Hotman Siahaan from Airlangga University and Pingky Saptandari, an expert from the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry.
Neither Fitra nor Risma proved to the people of Surabaya that they could solve the city's numerous problems, said the moderators.
Hotman described Fitradjaya's comments as "rhetorical", and said that the independent candidate should offer real solutions in the next debates. "Problems cannot be solved with rhetoric. It's difficult to understand," Hotman said.
Pingky said that Risma did not discuss the problems of women and children in the debate. "When the Dolly red light district was discussed, Risma could have raised the issue of gender," Pingky said, "but she did not."
None of the five candidates discussed gender-related problems, she added. "Let's hope they do better in the next debate."