Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
The Tangerang municipal elections commission (KPUD) confirmed Monday only three pairs of candidates would be running in the mayoral election scheduled Oct. 26.
The three candidate pairs are incumbent mayor Wahidin Halim with running mate Arief Wismansyah, Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar with Diedy Faried Wadji, and Ismet Sadeli Hasan with Mahfudz Abdullah.
Wahidin is backed by several major parties including the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), the Democratic Party (PD), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Star Crescent (PBB), the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Bonie and Diedy are backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Ismet and Mahfudz have put themselves up as independent candidates.
The three candidate pairs arrived at the KPUD office Monday morning to learn their order on the ballot.
In an open plenary meeting held by the KPUD, Wahidin-Arief was nominated to appear first on the ballot, Bonie-Diedy second and Ismet-Mahfudz third.
The candidates will have police escort until election day to assure security.
"Each candidate and running mate will be escorted by at least two police officers, so 12 officers will be assigned to safeguard them all," KPUD chair Imron Khamami said.
The candidates, he added, are not allowed to begin campaigning until the official campaign period begins next month.
"If any pair withdraws its candidacy, they will be fined as much as Rp 20 billion (US$2.13 million)," he said.
The elections oversight agency (Panwasda) has found the candidates have already committed violations, but it has yet to take any action because they are still waiting for their operating funds from the administration.
"The most glaring violation is the placement of banners promoting the candidates and their running mates. There should be no banners or other promotional materials on the streets until the campaign season starts," Panwasda chair Syafril Elain told The Jakarta Post.
"We are planning to take them all down, but it's postponed because we don't have the money yet."
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