Jakarta – Jakarta deputy governor nominee Sandiaga Uno has promised there will be no more "tearful evictions" of slums in the capital if he and governor nominee Anies Baswedan are elected in the upcoming run-off election.

The businessman's promise runs contrary to that of incumbent governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who has been maintaining a tough eviction policy since taking office in late 2014.

Sandiaga visited a kampung in the West Jakarta sub-district of Kalideres on Tuesday (07/03), the first day of a one-and-a-half-month campaign period for the second-round election on April 19.

"Anies and I will not evict residents forcefully from their homes. We'll sit together to hear what solutions they want the most. No more tears," he said.

Sandiaga, backed by the opposition Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, said residents living in makeshift building along riverbanks have the rights to decent housing in the capital.

Forced evictions have been rampant during the administration of Ahok, who has staunchly defended his moves amid ongoing river normalization projects.

More than 100 evictions took place in the capital in 2015 with nearly 30,000 residents affected, according to data from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH).

Ahok's administration has provided evicted residents with low-cost apartments. But Sandiaga said vertical villages, known as kampung susun, could be an excellent alternative solution to the problem.

"We want to establish vertical residences which can be paid in installments by residents. It is better than paying rented homes and lands, where they can still have their contracts broken off unilaterally," he said during his visit to Kalideres.

Rp 3 billion in cash assistance

Anies and Sandiaga also plans to adopt a Rp 1 billion ($75,000) cash assistance program for each community in the capital, which was previously promoted by eliminated gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. The cash assistance will be allocated for productive and empowering activities involving residents.

"The amount of assistance fund could be larger, up to Rp 3 billion, it will depend on the needs and conditions in each community," Anies said during a visit to Utan Kayu area in East Jakarta.

Anies gained 39.9 percent in the first-round election on Feb. 15, and Ahok, who is backed by the pro-government Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), gained 42.9 percent. The election proceeded to a run-off after no candidates won an outright majority.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/no-tearful-evictions-sandiaga-promises/