Bali Holds Gubernatorial Election On July 9
By Bustanuddin
Jakarta, (ANTARA News)- Three pairs of gubernatorial contestants in the Paradise Island of Bali will compete in the direct gubernatorial election on Wednesday (July 9, 2008) for the period of 2008-2013.
The three pairs of candidates are Prof Dr Gede Winasa-Alit Putra, Cok Budi Suryawan-Nyoman Gede Suwetha and I Made Mangku Pastika-AA Puspayoga.
Made Mangku Pastika, retired Police Commissioner General and a former police chief in the province, got much attention in the country including that from tourism observers for his success especially when he led the Bali police.
A total of 2.631.754 people out of about 3.6 million of the island`s population have been registered to cast votes in 5,683 polling booths on the election day.
Bali`s incumbent governor Dewa Made Beratha on Monday (July 7) when observing the preparation for the election requested all people who have been registered to cast votes.
It is expected that there will be less non-voters in the direct gubernatorial election, the governor said in his observation in the villages of Dangin Puri Kaja, Padang Sambian Kaja, Sading, Darmasaba and Sibang Gede.
AA Gede Oka Wisnumurti, chairman of the provincial general election commission said preparations for the gubernatorial election have been well conducted.
Campaign for the election taking place from June 22 till July 5, had been concluded in a prayer function in Jagatnata temple.
The prayer was held as a token of thanksgiving to the God for the smooth performance of the election campaign, Wisnumurti said.
After the praying, three pairs of the contestants also attended the removal function of billboards and other election symbols relating to the campaign in Puputan Renon square in Denpasar.
Peaceful situation as reflected by the three pairs of candidates are also expected to come into effect on the moment of election, up to completion of the election, Wisnu cited.
In the meantime, the provincial police expressed hope that all people in the region should refrain from committing anarchism regarding the performance of the gubernatorial election.
“We hope the people refrain from anarchism, because it will only cause them suffer losses if they fail to avoid committing anarchistic actions,” Senior Commissioner AS Reniban, head of Bali police`s public relations division said Friday (July 4).
According to him, the provincial police will deploy at least 7,000 police personnel at 5,683 polling booths to help make the vote casting run well.
In addition, at least 550 military personnel will also help control situation of the vote casting.
On I Made Mangku Pastika`s participation on the gubernatorial position race, Dr. I Nyoman Darma Putra, tourism observer living in Australia believed that Pastika would contribute peaceful situation to foreign tourists if he won in the election.
“If Mangku Pastika becomes Bali`s governor, probably Australian tourists will feel more peaceful in Bali. At least they can feel that they have `father` in Bali, who can listen and can have `dialog` if problem happens,” he said.
Bali needs a governor who can speak English well because this island has become world tourism destination, said Nyoman, who is also book writer in cooperation with Prof. Michael Hitchcock (London, Ashgate, 2007), entitled “Tourism, Development and Terrorism in Bali”.
“If the would be Bali governor is the figure like Mangku Pastika who can speak English, he can of course take quick care on many Australian tourists` complaint,” Nyoman, a lecturer of Indonesian language in the Queensland University added.
In the meantime, Ketut Suwandi, the success team of the Golkar Party-supported pair of Cokorda Budi Suryawan-Nyoman Suweta (CBS-Suweta), expressed hope that this pair would grab more that 40 percent of votes in the gubernatorial election.
It is certainly expected that any pair who would win in Bali gubernatorial election, would contribute better governance not only for the benefit of the paradise island but also for Indonesia.(*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008
Source: ANTARA News
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