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In Yudhoyono’s Hometown of Pacitan, Presidential Poll Is Cause for Celebration
Wahyu Sejagad | July 09, 2009

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Pacitan, East Java. In Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s hometown here, Wednesday morning saw the streets empty. Residents, in a solid show of support for the incumbent, put all normal activities on hold to troop to the polling stations and cast their votes.

And it showed. After more than 450,000 registered voters cast their ballots at the district’s 813 polling stations, tallies showed a lopsided result in favor of the town’s favorite son.

At polling station No. 1 in Ploso, where 11 of Yudhoyono’s relatives voted, including his aunt Watini, cousin Endang Widowati and brother-in-law Soedjono, home-court advantage was evident: temporary tallies showed that Yudhoyono garnered 484 votes from the 570 eligible voters.

But the town was not without its outliers — Megawati Sukarnoputri got five votes and Jusuf Kalla two.

For Pacitan’s residents, direct presidential elections are cause for celebration, a festival of sorts to revel in democracy. It’s hardly surprising, as Yudhoyono won the first one in 2004 and seems to be well on his way to winning the second one.

On the eve of the election, organized prayer gatherings were held in a number of locations around town, including at the Tremas Islamic boarding school in Arjosari, the birthplace of the president where Nahdlatul Ulama, the country’s largest Islamic organization, has built a small prayer hall.

On election day, polling station workers in Widoro village donned complete Javanese traditional costumes, complete with the headgear, known as the blangkon.

And across the street, a barber stood ready to shave the heads of those who were going to or had just cast their votes.

“This is a five-yearly tradition,” said Sartu, 58, running his hand over his smooth scalp, before trotting off to the polling station to vote.

In traditional Javanese culture, cutting hair is believed to ward off evil and is done as a form of thanksgiving.

For the barber, 31-year-old Kelik Wibisono, the practice has certainly brought good luck: within just a few hours, he was able to shave the hair off of some 25 men, earning Rp 5,000 (50 cents) from each one. “It’s not bad to have a bulk order,” he said.

The town’s enthusiasm for the election was evident in Watini. At the age of 80, Yudhoyono’s childhood nanny patiently stood in line along with 570 other voters registered at Ploso’s polling station No. 1. “SBY is a good man. Still loved by most of his people,” she told reporters after casting her vote. “God willing, [he will] win in a single round.”