Alzier's win annuled, revote planned<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung, Lampung<\/p>\n
After almost one year of leadership standoff in Lampung, the
\ncentral government has finally issued a ministerial decree
\nannulling the gubernatorial election of Alzier Dianis Thabrani
\nand ordering a revote to elect a new governor for the province.<\/p>\n
The decree issued by Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno
\nclaims the election of Alzier, currently on trial for graft,
\nbreached existing procedures and laws, but the Lampung
\nlegislative council defended the Dec. 30, 2002 election as
\ndemocratic.<\/p>\n
The revote should be held early in April, or August 2004 at
\nthe latest, after next year's direct presidential election,
\naccording to the decree.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Minister Hari swore in his aide, Tursandi Alwi,
\nas the acting governor of Lampung until after the council reholds
\nthe gubernatorial election.<\/p>\n
The installment of Tursandi was based on Presidential Decree
\nNo. 262\/M\/2003 issued recently by President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Regents, mayors and other senior officials, as well as several
\ncouncillors in Lampung attended the swearing-in ceremony.<\/p>\n
Tursandi, a native of West Lampung, who is also the research
\nand development head of Hari's office, was actually put in charge
\nof the governorship five months ago, before being sworn in as
\nacting governor.<\/p>\n
Councillors' responses to the appointment are divided, while
\nthe court is yet to hand down a verdict on Alzier's corruption
\ncharges.<\/p>\n
Council speaker Abbas Hadisunyoto opposed the installment of
\nTursandi and the plan to rehold the elections. "Alzier was
\nelected through a democratic process," he argued.<\/p>\n
Minister Hari should have respected the outcome of his meeting
\nwith council leaders, in which it was agreed that the central
\ngovernment would not recommend a revote or the appointment of an
\nacting governor, he continued.<\/p>\n
However, chairman of the United Development Party (PPP)
\nfaction in the council Malhani Manan backed Hari's move.<\/p>\n
Support also came from Sahlan Safri, who chairs Megawati's
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction
\nin the council.<\/p>\n
"Under the presidential decree, it's now clear that the
\ngubernatorial election will be reheld. The appointment of the
\nacting governor makes sense in order to secure the 2004 elections
\nin Lampung," Sahzan said.<\/p>\n
Alzier defeated the then incumbent governor, Oemarsono, who
\nwas supported by Megawati. She later dismissed Alzier from PDI
\nPerjuangan for refusing to back Oemarsono's reelection bid.<\/p>\n
Alzier's victory ended with a corruption charge filed against
\nhim. The governor-elect was also charged with using a fake
\ndiploma in his election bid.<\/p>\n
Political analysts have criticized Megawati for practicing
\nauthoritarianism in chairing her party. Alzier's case was not the
\nfirst. Megawati had also dismissed PDI Perjuangan's councillors
\nin Jakarta, who opposed the reelection bid of Governor Sutiyoso,
\na retired three-star Army general, earlier last year.<\/p>\n
She did the same when her dissenting members in Central Java
\nnominated this year the chairman of the province's PDI
\nPerjuangan, Mardijo, to challenge Mardiyanto, a two-star Army
\ngeneral, in the gubernatorial race.<\/p>\n
Demonstrations, in support of Alzier's win, have been frequent
\nin the Lampung capital of Bandarlampung. But rallies were not
\nseen on Thursday to support or oppose the annulment of his
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Sunday, Alzier's supporters threatened to occupy
\nthe official residence of the governor and the council building
\nif the central government went ahead with its plan to annul the
\noutcome of the Dec. 30, 2002 election.<\/p>\n
Local people carried out their daily activities as usual,
\nthough police deployed hundreds of personnel in a number of
\nstrategic places across the Southern Sumatran city.<\/p>\n
Lampung Police chief Brig. Gen. M.D. Primanto said his office
\nhad anticipated possible protests during Thursday's inauguration
\nof the acting governor.<\/p>",
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