Arya Dipa, Bandung – As the campaign season kicked off on Thursday, ahead of the upcoming West Java gubernatorial election, the five candidate pairs have begun making "10,000 promises" in an attempt to lure voters.
The gubernatorial candidates will campaign for the next 14 days to win the hearts of the people ahead of the Feb. 24 ballot.
Before wandering across the province to charm potential voters, the candidates tried to impress councilors, and 650 guests, with their missions and visions in a special plenary meeting at the provincial legislative council (DPRD).
Each candidate pair was given 20 minutes to project their visions to the audience. Only incumbent governor Ahmad Heryawan and running mate, actor Deddy Mizwar, were bold enough to flaunt their promises, including the exemption of education fees for all students in West Java up to senior high school.
"We will also build 20,000 new classrooms," Deddy said, adding that they would provide scholarships for youths, medical workers and families of promising athletes as well as incentives for integrated health post volunteers. "We will also create 100,000 new entrepreneurs as well as 2 million jobs."
In an effort to prevent further urban expansion, the pair – nominated by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) along with the United Development Party (PPP) – said they would earmark Rp 4 trillion (US$440 million) for rural infrastructure development. "We will also renovate the homes of 100,000 underprivileged families," Deddy said.
The event became animated when candidates Rieke Diah Pitaloka, a House of Representatives legislator, and Teten Masduki arrived on stage with two bags, one containing groundnuts and the other rice.
"This [holding up the bag of rice] is a hybrid of Cirendah and Dayang Rindu rice. It can be harvested between 105 and 115 days and [the plant] can grow up to 135 centimeters. It has a potential of 12 hectares per ton," said Rieke.
The food resilience enhancement program, she said, is crucial for residents in West Java, a province inhabited by up to 46 million people. "West Java should not only be able to supply rice to other provinces but also improve the welfare of its farmers," she added.
Incumbent deputy governor Dede Yusuf Macan Effendi and Lex Laksamana said they would provide residents with the Tribhakti health card, which covered nine of their flagship programs, including free marriage, free 12-year education, scholarships for gifted students up to the university level and legal advocacy for underprivileged residents. "We cannot carry it out by ourselves. All the programs need the support of the people," said Dede.
Two other candidate pairs – former South Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Dikdik Mulyana Arief Mansyur and his running mate former Indramayu regency secretary Cecep Nana Surya; and former Indramayu regent Irianto MS Syafiuddin and former Tasikmalaya regent Tatang Farhanul Hakim – only expressed their rationales.
Dikdik said if he were elected, he would develop West Java from the rural level. "Currently, residents are only spectators of development activities. They should become the beneficiaries," he said.
Irianto said, if elected, he would set aside Rp 500 million for each village to "stimulate development in rural areas because one of the most pressing issues in West Java is the rapid growth of its population."