•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Sporting sky-high heels and oversize sunglasses, sex-kitten actress Julia “Jupe” Perez entered the political arena for the first time recently as a candidate for deputy district head in Pacitan, the hometown of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in East Java.

Her bid further fueled sparked a recent national debate about celebrities running for office, with critics saying that the stars — many of them women — lack the experience and the gravitas to stand for office.

Beyond the celebrity factor, Perez’s headline-grabbing race also points to the growing use of women as the face of campaigns, with a large number of female candidates in local elections being held across the country this year having ties to current office holders. One example is Haryanti, the first wife of district head Sutrisno in Kediri. She ran against her husband’s second wife, Nurlaila, for Sutrisno’s vacant seat on May 12 and won.

Angelina Sondakh, a former Miss Indonesia who is now a member of the House of Representatives with the Democratic Party, said women need to define their role and position in politics, not just be token candidates.

“What I learned in parliament is that you have to fight to be heard and get what you want. We have to be fully equipped and resourceful, or else they think you know nothing,” Sondakh said.