SP/Yoseph Kelen, Kupang – Failure to secure seats in the recent election has begun to impact some legislative candidates who spent exorbitant amounts of money to buy votes, to the extent of selling property.
Jambir (not his real name), is a legislative candidate from Alak Kota Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), who sold most of his valuables, including his house, to buy votes from the people in his constituency.
Jambir was confident the sacrifice would win him a seat. The day before the election his wife was heard bragging about his surefire victory clinched by the sweet promises his made to the locals.
Reality, as they say, bites. Jambir was given a painful reminder of that when he discovered he failed to garner enough votes to make him a councilor. Left with almost nothing, Jambir then faced the added blow of his wife demanding a divorce.
"We heard that they sold off their house and other valuables, such as motorcycles, for the campaign. They had a huge fight last night," said Marthen, one of Jambir's neighbors.
In an interview with reporters Jambir confessed he felt embarrassed and disappointed by the election results, but was even more humiliated by the measures he took to convince people to vote for him. "I am confused by the results because I had high expectations," said Jambir.
He confirmed that his wife now wants to end their marriage. "We both agreed to sell the house. Now that I've failed, she wants a divorce, arguing that we no longer have a place to live," said Jambir.
A legislative candidate from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) in Nagekeo, East Nusa Tenggara, damaged water pipes, disrupting the water supply to the village of Sawu after he failed to clinch a seat.
"Hanura members should not have committed such an act. We vote based on their conscience without hoping for something in return," Hanura NTT chairman Jimmy Sianto said, adding that the party is still trying to get in touch with the legislative candidate to find out what happened.
Disappointment, anger and frustration are only a few of the emotions felt by legislative candidates who failed to secure a seat on April 9.
Unable to face such a massive disappointment, these failed candidates resorted to desperate measures, such as trying to steal ballot boxes, creating a blockade to deny access to a housing complex and, in a debilitating bout of depression, committing suicide, according to Antara News.
Muhammad Taufiq, a legislative candidate from Sampang, East Java, with the help of his friend Asmad stormed two polling stations and attempted to take ballot boxes by force after discovering his low vote count.
"Both stole the ballot boxes and brought them to Taufik's house," said National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Ronny F. Sompie, adding that both were later apprehended by the Tambelangan general election supervisory committee.
While some disgruntled candidates tried to confiscate ballot boxes, others made attempts to take back gifts and donations they made during their campaigns.
The Tulungagung regency of East Java saw candidates bitterly remove building materials they donated to local mosques, while one barred people from entering the place of worship.
Miftahul Huda, a legislative candidate from Hanura, took back the 2,000 bricks, 10 sacks of cement and a truck-load of sand he gave to a mosque.
Meanwhile, a village head in Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi, closed a kindergarten by force and threatened to dismiss its teachers and principal after two legislative candidates he supported, and who made donations to the school, failed to secure seats in parliament.
While many legislative hopefuls gave in to acts of violence in the wake of their political and financial loss, others psychologically collapsed under waves of grief.
Witarsa from the Sinarancang village, of Cirebon, West Java, was taken to a padepokan, a complex of houses owned by a Muslim cleric offering spiritual guidance, the day following the elections after suffering a nervous breakdown.
Witarsa, a legislative candidate from the Democratic Party, fell into a state of severe depression upon realizing the extent of the financial debt. Flanked by an ustad, a religious teacher, Witarsa told reporters didn't know how to repay the Rp 300 million ($26,100) debt he accumulated for his campaign.
Meanwhile, Anselmus Petrus Youw, a legislative candidate from the National Mandate Party (PAN), blocked the entrance of his housing complex with logs because local residents didn't vote for him in the election.
"It's true, Anselmus blocked [access] to the area because the residents didn't vote for him," said Micky, a member of the election monitoring committee in the Nabire district in Papua. Mickey said Anselmus, a former Nabire district head, felt betrayed by the locals to whom he had given the plot of land on which the housing complex was built.
In an extreme case of emotional distress caused by this year's political race, a young woman, only identified as S. from Banjar, West Java, committed suicide after learning of her failure to win a seat.
In Banda Aceh, legislative hopefuls were held captive by their own fear when, too frightened to go home, they hid in the house of their party's local chairman in an attempt to evade witnesses demanding their fees. Junaidi, a failed candidate, said he was barraged daily by telephone calls and text messages from witnesses who have not yet been paid for their services. "I don't dare leave the chairman's house," he said.
Hanura Banda Aceh chairman Abdul Jabar said he was unable to pay witness fees because the party's central executive board had failed to send funds. Abdul said he was still trying to find a solution to the problem and hoped his party would soon provide him with the money.
Law No. 8 of 2012, Article 5 (1), states that legislative candidates will bear the cost of most of their campaign funds, which is why every election year the archipelago is besieged by legislative candidates falling into fits of rage or depression.
However, Poempida Hidayatulloh, a member of House of Representatives Commission IX said Health Law No. 36 of 2009 declares the state will pay for the medical expenses of candidates suffering from emotional distress.
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/election-leaves-trail-broken-hopefuls/