2 | HEADLINES FRIDAY May 5, 2017

FRENCH ELECTION

Macron accuses Le Pen of spreading lies Kalla pushes

Reuters
PARIS

French presidential candidate

Emmanuel Macron accused his
far-right rival Marine Le Pen on
Thursday of spreading lies by sug-
gesting he had an undisclosed off-
shore fund.
Macron’s party said it was tak-
ing legal action after an internet
campaign suggested shortly be-
fore a televised debate between
the two candidates on Wednesday
night that Macron had concealed
funds in a foreign tax haven. Ma-
cron himself denied the allegation.
Campaigning on an anti-Eu-
ropean Union, anti-globalization
platform, Le Pen has sought to por-
tray the former investment banker
and economy minister as an out-of-
touch member of an elite responsi-
ble for France’s ills: unemployment
of around 10 percent, low growth,
and a two-year spate of Islamist vio-
lence.
According to a snap opinion
poll by Elabe for BFMTV, 63 per-
cent of viewers found Macron the
more convincing in Wednesday’s
debate, reinforcing his status as
favorite to win the Elysee.
An Ifop-Fiducial poll released
on Wednesday put Macron 20
percentage points ahead of Le
Pen in voting intentions, in line
with other recent surveys.
Official campaigning is re-
quired by law to end at midnight
on Friday before voters go to the
polls on Sunday for the runoff be-
tween the candidates who topped
the first round two weeks ago.
French two-year bond yields
fell 3 basis points to a two-month
low on Thursday, pointing to fur-
REGIONAL ELECTIONS
Up for debate: French presidential candidate for the far-right Front National (FN) Party Marine Le
Pen (left to right) French journalist Christophe Jakubyszyn, French journalist Nathalie Saint-Cricq
and French presidential candidate for the En Marche! movement, Emmanuel Macron prepare for a live
broadcast of their debate in La Plaine-Saint-Denis, near Paris on Wednesday.
ther relief on financial markets
that Le Pen had not gained ground
with her pledges to quit the euro
currency, hold a referendum on
leaving the European Union, and
print money to finance higher
state spending.
Macron has promised to stimu-
late growth with training programs
and a relaxation of labor laws, while
reducing state expenditure.
At the end of Wednesday’s
heated debate, watched by 15 mil-
lion people, Le Pen insinuated
that her rival might hold an off-
shore account.
“I’ve never had an account
in any tax haven,” Macron told
France Inter radio on Thursday.
“Le Pen is behind this. She has an
internet army mobilizing.”
He said she had allies spreading
“false information and lies” who
were “in certain cases linked to
Russian interests.” Pressed about
her remark during the debate, Le
Pen told BFM TV on Thursday
that she had no proof Macron had
an offshore account, but did not
want undisclosed funds to come
to light when it was too late.
Macron’s campaign team said
that, two hours before the debate
started an anonymous account
posted documents on an Internet
forum purporting to prove that
Macron had an offshore account,
and the information was quickly
distributed on Twitter.
“Emmanuel Macron is the tar-
Reuters/Eric Feferberg/Pool
get of a carefully orchestrated at-
tempt to destabilize him 48 hours
before the end of the campaign,”
his spokesman Sylvain Fort said
in a statement.
“It’s worth noting that this op-
eration was taken up by Le Pen in a
curious manner during the debate
[...] Obviously all of the necessary
legal action will be taken and is al-
ready under way.” Fort did not in-
dicate if this action was aimed at a
specific individual or group.
Macron’s team released a
screenshot of what it said was a
falsified signature on documents
purportedly proving “Macron’s
secret tax evasion” as well as a
trail of tweets spreading the in-
formation.
own political
agenda
Haeril Halim,
Margareth S. Aritonang,
and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA
During his first stint as vice presi-
dent from 2004 to 2009, Vice Presi-
dent Jusuf Kalla at times had a cool
relationship with then-president
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, thanks
to his outspoken and direct style.
Entering the third year of
his presidency, President Joko
“Jokowi” Widodo, a much less
experienced politician than Yud-
hoyono, let alone Kalla, may be
finding himself in a similar situa-
tion to Yudhoyono.
A recent revelation of Kalla’s
role in the nomination of Anies
Baswedan as Jakarta gubernato-
rial candidate is the latest sign of
vagary in the Jokowi-Kalla rela-
tionship. Like during Yudhoyono’s
tenure, Kalla still often and public-
ly begs to differ with the president.
Backed by central government
opposition parties, the Anies-San-
diaga Uno ticket defeated incum-
bents Basuki “Ahok” Tjahja Purna-
ma and Djarot Syaiful Hidayat. The
Ahok-Djarot ticket was supported
by government coalition parties led
by Jokowi’s Indonesian Democrat-
ic Party of Struggle (PDI-P.)
Meanwhile, the main endorser
of Anies-Sandiaga was Gerindra
Party chairman Prabowo Subian-
to, who will very likely become
Jokowi’s competitor again in the
2019 presidential race.
On Thursday, Kalla admitted
he was the one who had proposed
Kalla admits he
recommended Anies
to Prabowo as Jakarta
gubernatorial candidate
Disharmony deepening in
Jokowi-Kalla relationship:
Expert
Anies was aimed at ensuring that
Jakarta would be led by a moder-
ate leader and someone who had
experience in business manage-
ment, like Sandiaga.
“I talked to several friends and
we had a shared understanding
about it. [Anies] is the right man
to make this country move for-
ward peacfully,” Kalla added.
“I have the right to speak to
anyone. They are all my friends.
It would only have been interven-
tion if I had forced [Prabowo to
accept] my decision. In this case,
[Gerindra’s] chairman made the
decision,” he added.
United Development Party
(PPP) secretary-general Arsul Sani
confirmed Kalla’s role in promoting
Anies as Jakarta governor hopeful.
According to him, PPP chairman
Muhammad “Romy” Romahur-
muziy had communicated intensely
with Aksa Mahmud, Kalla’s brother-
in-law, ahead of the Jakarta election.
Arsul said Aksa had told the
party to consider two names as
gubernatorial candidate. One of
them was Anies. “Aksa is said to
be Kalla’s representative, but for
us, such communication is com-
mon and doesn’t mean [Kalla] in-

2018 polls defining moment for parties
Arya Dipa and Agus Maryono
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA/
BANDUNG/PURWOKERTO
Just weeks after a fierce battle in
the Jakarta gubernatorial election,
political parties have started to flex
their muscles for more concurrent
regional polls next year, the last
batch of polls before the country
has a general election in 2019.
The parties have begun to
screen candidates for the elec-
tions, which will be held on June
27, 2018, in 171 regions, including
in five large provinces: West Java,
Central Java, East Java, North Su-
matra and South Sulawesi.
The five provinces are among
the most populous regions in the
country. West Java has the biggest
population with 43.02 million,
followed by East Java and Central
Java with 37.47 million and 32.38
million citizens, respectively.
North Sumatra, which is the
most populated province on Suma-
tra, is home to 12.98 million, while
South Sulawesi has 12.98 million.
Critics warn that the polls
would heighten the sectarian is-
sues and intolerance that had
sparked up and caused bitterness
during the Jakarta election.
Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tja-
haja Purnama had become en-
gulfed in a blasphemy case that
triggered a string of mass pro-
tests by conservative Muslim
groups. He finally lost the elec-
tion to Anies Baswedan, a former
education minister who had been
backed by Islamist parties.
Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil,
who has been nominated to be the
Nasdem Party candidate for West
Java governor, has already been at-
tacked on religious grounds as he
was accused of having allowed the
establishment of 300 places of wor-
ship for non-Muslims.
He denied the allegation, say-
ing that it had been spread by par-
ties that dislike his gubernatorial
nomination.
“I have only issued 10 licens-
es for the development of hous-
es of worship. They were for five
mosques, three churches and two
Buddhist temples,” he said, add-
ing that his administration does
not limit the licenses for houses
of worship of any religion.
Besides Ridwan, several oth-
er names, such as of Purwarkar-
ta Regent Dedi Mulyadi, Bekasi
Mayor Ridwan Effendi and West
Java Deputy Governor Dedy Miz-
war, have been floated among the
political parties as possible candi-
dates for the province’s top post.
In Central Java, the National
Awakening Party (PKB) has an-
nounced it will back party member
and former disadvantaged regions
minister Marwan Jafar. Yusuf Hu-
dori, a Muslim cleric who also heads
the party’s Central Java chapter, has
declared Marwan’s nomination and
claimed that he has earned support
from all members in the regencies
and municipalities.
“We have received a mandate
from the central executive board
in Jakarta to support Marwan
as candidate for governor in the
2018 election,” Yusuf told The Ja-
karta Post.
The Golkar Party has an-
nounced that it would back the
head of the party’s Central Java
chapter, Wisnu Suhardono as
candidate for governor.
The Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P), mean-
while, has yet to name any candi-
dates and is expected to seek the
re-election of Governor Ganjar
Pranowo, who is a party member.
Indonesian Institute of Sci-
ences (LIPI) political analyst Siti
Zuhro said the 2018 polls will be
critical, as they will be seen as “the
political investment” ahead of the
general elections. “The 2018 polls
will reflect voters’ preferences and
be a benchmark for 2019,” she said
In Papua, former police chief
Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw is
among those who have been much
talked about. Golkar and the PKB
have declared support for Paulus
in the gubernatorial election. (rdi)
— NETHY DARMA SOMBA CONTRIBUTED
TO THIS ARTICLE FROM JAYAPURA
Anies as the gubernatorial candi-
date to run with Sandiaga.
“It is true that I spoke [to
Prabowo], and there is noth-
ing wrong with me talking to the
leader of a political party to en-
sure that everything [in the Ja-
karta election] would run well
and peacefully,” the senior Golkar
politician told reporters.
Many may see increasing dis-
harmony within Jokowi’s ad-
ministration, with speculation
growing that the former Golkar
chairman utilized his vast politi-
cal network and leverage to move
closer to Prabowo’s camp.
Kalla’s admission comes af-
ter People’s Consultative Assem-
bly (MPR) Speaker and National
Mandate Party (PAN) chairman
Zulkifli Hasan on Tuesday re-
vealed Kalla’s role in convincing
Prabowo to nominate Anies. In
July last year, Jokowi dismissed
Anies from his position as educa-
tion and culture minister. Zulki-
fli called Kalla’s maneuver “last
minute political intervention.”
Kalla has confirmed the lobby-
ing attempt but denied it amount-
ed to intervention.
Kalla said his endorsement of
tervened,” Arsul said.
Aksa, founder of conglomer-
ate Bosowa Corporation, is a for-
mer MPR deputy speaker. His el-
dest child, businessman Erwin
Aksa, recently showed his favor to
Anies by lending him a helicopter
to take him to Jakarta City Hall to
meet Ahok on April 22.
Kalla has had differences with
Jokowi in the past, ranging from
Cabinet positions to government
policies. This latest development
could lead to Kalla supporting
Jokowi’s opponent in the 2019
elections, said Indonesian Insti-
tute of Sciences (LIPI) senior po-
litical analyst Syamsuddin Haris.
He added that the disharmony
could affect the performance of
Jokowi’s administration.
“In a presidential system, it is
unethical for a vice president to
have different political prefer-
ences to the president, because
a vice president must support a
president’s choices. It is deplor-
able that Kalla played [a differ-
ent] political game in the Jakarta
election,” Syamsuddin told The
Jakarta Post. “He is fully aware of
Jokowi’s rivalry with Prabowo in
2014, which could repeat in 2019.”

ANTI-TOBACCO

East Jakarta neighborhood unites to stop smoking

Winda A. Charmila
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA
Joko Sundoko, a 37-year old
resident of Kampung Penas Tang-
gul in South Cipinang Besar vil-
lage, East Jakarta, has been smok-
ing cigarettes since he was 9 years
old.
As an active smoker for 28
years, Joko can smoke up to five
packs of cigarettes in a day.
The heavy smoking has taken
a toll on his health. His heart of-
ten beats fast despite his being in-
active, and whenever he does do
physical exercise, he quickly feels
out of breath.
Realizing that he would die a
premature death if he did noth-
ing, Joko tried to quit smoking
last year.
But working as a security
guard, Joko found it was difficult
to quit smoking, especially during
his night shift.
Quitting smoking in a city like
Jakarta can be difficult. As the
prevalence of smoking in Jakarta
is so high, people who try to quit
are constantly surrounded by ac-
tive smokers, and easily relapse.
According to Health Ministry
data, the prevalence of male smok-
ers in Jakarta in 2013 was 55.2 per-
cent, meaning one in every two
men in the city was a smoker.
WEATHER FORECAST: MAY 5, 2017
Sunny Banda Aceh
22 - 32 °C
Rainy
Medan
Cloudy
23 - 33 °C
Pekanbaru
Source:
Meteorology, Climatology
And Geophysics Agency
24 - 29 °C
JP/P.J.Leo
Colors of life: A woman cleans in front of her house in the low-
income neighborhood of Penas Tanggul in Cipinang Besar Selatan,
East Jakarta, on Wednesday. The community, which is located on
the banks of Cipinang River, declared itself a smoking-free area and
encouraged residents to paint their homes with bright colors.
According to data from the hood initiated an anti-tobacco
World Health Organization movement by declaring itself a
(WHO), only 9 percent of male smoke-free kampung, the first of
smokers in Indonesia have man- its kind in Jakarta.
aged to quit smoking. Following the declaration,
It has been one month since Joko smokers who live in the neigh-
last smoked a cigarette. This time, borhood are encouraged not only
he has succeeded in quitting after by their families, but also by their
he was encouraged by his neigh- neighbors, to reduce their ciga-
borhood, which has banned its res- rette consumption, if not actually
idents from smoking inside their to quit smoking altogether.
houses for the sake of their families. “With the prohibition, I was
Two months ago, the neighbor- called on to reduce my cigarette
Batam Semarang Denpasar
24 - 31 °C 25 - 32 °C 25 - 32 °C
Jakarta Yogyakarta Samarinda
25 - 32 °C 24 - 32 °C 24 - 27 °C
Bandung Surabaya Palangkaraya
20 - 30 °C 25 - 34 °C 24 - 30 °C
consumption. If I smoke inside
the house, my children will also
remind me not to,” Joko told The
Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Joko admitted that it was not
easy to quit smoking at first.
“I did stop smoking for two
days and my body was trembling.
I got dizzy and I felt nauseous. But
when I smoked again, I felt dizzy
again. At that time, I felt that I re-
ally had to end this habit,” he said.
But after going cold turkey,
Joko said he already felt healthier.
Since the establishment of the
smoke-free kampung, Joko said,
four people in the neighborhood,
out of 70 active smokers, had quit
smoking, while the rest had re-
duced the number of cigarettes
they smoked.
One of them is Muhammad
Arifin, 25. A smoker for six years,
Arifin used to consume up to 60
cigarettes per day, but now he
smokes one pack of cigarettes at
most.
“This neighborhood really helps
me to end my bad habit. If your
environment does not support
smoking, you think twice before
smoking there. When you smoke,
they look at you and it makes you
feel awkward,” Arifin said.
Three years ago, Arifin tried to
stop smoking for health reasons,
but he failed because back then he
Makassar Ternate
25 - 30 °C 25 - 30 °C
Manado Ambon
23 - 32 °C 23 - 31 °C
Gorontalo Jayapura
24 - 33 °C 24 - 31 °C
was supported only by his wife. nate the slum image as many of
Eight months ago, his wife gave our houses were built along riv-
birth to his daughter, prompting erbanks. But then, we wanted a
Arifin to reconsider quitting. healthy kampung too,” he said.
“I am optimistic that I can give National Commission on Tobac-
up my smoking habit in the near fu- co Control (Komnas PT) head Pri-
ture because the environment re- yo Sidipratomo praised the efforts
ally helps you to quit here,” he said. of the kampung and hoped it could
Kampung Penas Tanggul co- be a good example for others.
ordinator Nobby Sail Andi Supu “Their efforts prove that our
said he expected the kampung to people can actually quit smok-
be a role model for other neigh- ing,” Priyo said, adding that he ex-
borhoods in Jakarta. pected the local administration to
“At first, we only wanted to at least show its appreciation for
paint the houses here to elimi- the effort.
THIS ODD WORLD
‘World’s heaviest woman’ leaves hospital
MUMBAI: An Egyptian once believed to be the “world’s heaviest woman”
left an Indian hospital on Thursday for the United Arab Emirates where she
will continue treatment following drastic weight-loss surgery, doctors said.
Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty weighed roughly 500 kilograms when she
arrived in Mumbai in February, but has shed an astonishing 323 kilograms
since undergoing a series of medical procedures.
With her weight now standing at 176.6 kilograms, she will begin a
year-long course of physiotherapy at VPS Burjeel hospital in Abu Dhabi, her
doctors in Mumbai said.
“We have arranged for a hydraulic stretcher from Italy for Eman’s jour-
ney and she will have doctors, paramedics and nurses with her during the
journey,” Sanet Meyer, director of medevac at VPS Burjeel, told AFP.
Abd El Aty was put on a special liquid diet in India to reduce her weight
enough so that doctors could perform bariatric surgery.
The stomach-shrinking bypass procedure is increasingly common in In-
dia, which has a growing problem with obesity, particularly in urban areas.
She had not left her home in Egypt’s Mediterranean port city of Alex-
andria for two decades until she arrived in India on a specially-modified
Airbus plane in February.
Her family told doctors that as a child she was diagnosed with elephan-
tiasis, a condition that causes the limbs and other body parts to swell,
leaving her almost immobile.
Abd El Aty has suffered a stroke and faced a series of other serious
ailments owing to her weight including diabetes, high blood pressure,
hypertension and sleep deprivation.— AFP