"Blusukan" campaign considered more effective

Making impromptu visits to neglected and remote areas, known in Javanese term as "blusukan", are considered more effective to win peoples sympathy.

In Javanese culture, blusukan is done by a top official to less visited areas to obtain first hand information about the real condition of the local communities and to provide them with necessary aid.

As the 21-day nationwide campaigns for the upcoming legislative elections on April 9, 2014 kicked off on Sunday, March 16, legislative candidate Efendi MS Simbolon of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said blusukan was more effective because he could make direct contact with the people.

He said PDI-P started its first-day campaign at Cenderawasih square in West Jakarta on Sunday after making blusukan to several traditional markets and historic sites in Jakarta.

"We start our campaign this time by visiting the suburbs in our bid to win the hearts of the people," Efendi said, adding that blusukan is a more effective strategy to a direct contact with the people to know their ups and downs.

Concerning the nomination of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, as presidential candidate from PDI-P, Efendi said it was the right decision the party has made.

PDIPs General Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday decided to nominate Jokowi for the presidency in accordance with the partys articles of association and the result of the partys congress held in Bali in 2010.

Besides Efendi Simbolon, PDI-P Secretary General Tjahjo Kumolo also noted that blusukan political campaign by greeting the grass root communities is more effective than advertisement in print and electronic media.

"Blusukan campaign is more effective because the campaigners are able to get the first hand information about the problem of grass root communities in the field," Tjahjo said.

He opined that through the blusukan campaign, the campaigners would be able to communicate with the people to find out their real problems and the way how to help them.

"Besides blusukan campaign, we also stage open air campaign with Jokowi, the presidential candidate from PDI-P acts as the campaigner at Budi Utomo building in Central Jakarta," Tjahjo noted.

PDI-P campaigns were also held at Sumpah Pemuda building, Naskah Proklamasi Museum, Gedung Pola market, and Cenderawasih building.

In his oration at Naskah Proklamasi Museum, Jokowi said blusukan to historic places in Jakarta was to trace the history of the nation and to remind the people of Indonesia about the difficulty to gain independence. 

Meanwhile, National Defense Forces (TNI) former chief retired General Djoko Santoso admired Megawatis stance to nominate Jokowi as PDI-P presidential candidate, and said it was a smart decision.

"Madame Megawati gives the opportunity for Jokowi to run for president, and it is a smart political decision because she really understands public desire," Djoko Santoso told the newsmen on Sunday.

He pointed out that Jokowi has very high electability and therefore Megawati was determined to encourage her cadre to run for the upcoming presidential election.

Further, he added that all presidential hopefuls were considered the best candidates who were supported by their respective political parties.

But the nomination of Jokowi as president, the TNI former chief said Megawati is high minded because as the leader of a big political party she is ready with a mature consideration to nominate her best cadre as a presidential candidate. 

According to Djoko Santoso, the nomination of Jokowi proves that the forming of cadres in the body of PDI-P runs well, because besides Jokowi, many other cadres of the party are proven to have good leadership and managerial capability. 

Besides PDI-P, Golkar Party has so far declared its general chairman Aburizal Bakrie as its presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential election.

"Right now Golkar is concentrating on wining the legislative elections on April 9. Golkar remains confident, and once a decision is made it will not be withdrawn," the partys associate chairman Hajrianto Thoyari said here on Friday. 

He said Golkar would not be influenced by the development and rush to change the political decision that it had made so far. He added that Golkar also would not as yet think of coalescing with PDIP or Jokowi.

He said Golkar welcomed PDI-P decision to nominate the Jakarta governor as its presidential candidate for presidential election on July 9, 2014.

Hajrianto said the political map was now clear, following the nomination of Jokowi.

"Before the declaration, we could only guess who would be PDIPs presidential candidate: Jokowi or Megawati. But now everything is clear," he noted in a written statement.

Hajrianto said Jokowis nomination gave the Golkar Party information that it could use to immediately formulate strategies to win in both the legislative elections on April 9 and presidential election on July 9 this year. (*)

Source: ANTARA