Lembata's political market place

In 2004, Lembata's traditional market place was destroyed by fire. Hundreds of stalls and stores burned out. Now, it is a political market place as it is used by election candidates for campaigning.

Twenty years ago, when Lembata was still a part of the East Flores Regency, there was a huge market place crowded with the buyers and sellers. Here is where residents and visitors came for trading. The 'traditional market' as it is still known was a landmark in Lembata.

According to stories of the local residents there, the traditional market ran until twilight day in day out. Every Monday the market was even until midnight. Pius Wahon, a senior resident fondly recalls the conversations among the residents at the market. They conversed even though they did not share a single language. There were as a many as ten local languages spoken at the market. "This market was as much a trading place as a centre for peaceful, cultural exchanges", he says.

Then, just a week before the elections in 2004, the market went up in flames. the fire forced hundreds of sellers to leave the location. They lost many rupiahs due to the accident. A director of a local NGO, Bibiana Riang Hepat, who was involved in efforts to help the sellers at that time, says the cause of the fire is still a mystery. A member of the Local People's Representative Assemblies (DPRD) of Lembata Regency, Urbanus Uri Murin, says a forensic team of the Indonesian National Police concluded that the fire was due to an electrical short cut. But the Director of the State Electricity Company of Lembata, Ipi Fernandes, has always denied this. He holds that the fire happened by design.

Since there has never a juridical inquiry, the case remains a mystery. The local government still forbids sellers to reopen businesses. Instead, the government has built a new market in Lamahora, at the east side of Lembata and also promotes Pada Market, at the west side.

Now, thousands people crowd the former market place again. But they are not there for business. They come to attend the campaign rallies organized by political parties in the run up to the elections of April 9. Political parties from nearby areas such as Lewoleba village and Selandoro village always use the place for mass gatherings.   

Yohanes Boro, a legislative candidate of the National People's Concern Party (PPRN) says this place is ideal for political campaigns because the place is centrally located. Aries Nimanuho, a legislative candidate of the Democratic Party, confirms this. Their campaigns have attracted many sellers who are making a comeback beacuse of the elections. A number of vegetable and fish sellers are open until twilight even though this is illegal. And not unlike these sellers, the political parties 'sell' their program here. From their campaign stalls at the traditional market, they are solliciting for the vote of Lembata's residents. (Alexander Taum, Lembata)