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Fabio Scarpello

Next month, when Indonesians go to the polls for both local and national elections, they may be surprised to notice a foreigner's name on the ballot paper.
Petra Odebrecht - a blue-eyed, curly haired, blonde, German woman - is making history as the first foreign-born Indonesian national to contest a legislative election in the country, she claims.
She is running for a seat in Bali's parliament.
'I am the first  bule [white foreigner] joining politics in Indonesia. This proves that the democratisation process is ongoing, and that everybody can be a candidate as long as he or she has the will to do something,' said the 41-year-old divorcee, who was motivated to enter politics 'to do something for the plight of Indonesian women'.
 Born in Hamburg, Germany, Ms Odebrecht first arrived in Indonesia in 1989. Soon after that, she married an Indonesian man and by 1992 was granted Indonesian citizenship. 
Although her marriage only lasted a few years, Ms Odebrecht has lived in Bali ever since and has worked in its bustling tourism sector. 
 'I have decided to live here. This is my country now and I feel I have to do something to improve the situation,' Ms Odebrecht said.
If elected, she would like to work to improve Bali's image and develop the resort island's brand as an eco-friendly destination.
However, her main ambition is  with women's rights. 
 'I feel the country is still run with a patriarchal mentality that leaves little room for women to grow,' she said. 'Official data shows that most illiterate people are women.' 
 She also said women have  dwindling  job opportunities.  According to the International Labour Organisation, Indonesia had the largest increase in  unemployed women  in Southeast Asia during the past 10 years. Since the 1997 financial crisis, unemployment among women in Indonesia  rose from 17 per cent to almost 34 per cent in 2006.
 But despite her good intentions, Ms Odebrecht conceded that her ambitions for local parliament  would not be easily achieved in a country that  might not be ready for a foreign-born politician.  
 On the ballot paper, she is listed fifth among eight candidates from the Renewal Democratic Party (PDP), a minor party that was established in December 2005 by members who broke away from the nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle of president Megawati Sukarnoputri. 
 Ms Odebrecht said she chose the PDP because it  was run by a council of members, rather than one leader. It is also an ethnically and religiously diverse party, that advocates greater rights for women.
 'I'm Buddhist, some are Muslims and many are Hindu here,' she said of her party. 'Also, 42 per cent of the members are women and four of the eight candidates on the ballot are women.' 
Under Indonesian law, 30 per cent of  candidates must be women.
If she is not successful in her  election bid, she will continue to work with her party to challenge  misguided perceptions about democracy in Indonesia.  
'I went to meet some people in a village where most workers are women. I started explaining to them about the party, but their first question was, 'Ibu  Petra [Miss Petra], how much money will you give us if we chose you?',' she said. 'This example demonstrates how much work there is left to do, despite the progress.'



German-born woman makes history as Bali  parliament candidate