Council defies public hopes with draft election rules<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The City Council's special committee completed on Wednesday
\nthe draft of the gubernatorial election regulation, which, if
\nenacted, would limit certain candidates' chances of being elected
\nand ignore public participation.<\/p>\n
According to Article 4 of the draft regulation, a governor
\nfrom outside Jakarta seeking nomination as City Governor must
\nobtain a presidential permit and be approved by their provincial
\ncouncil.<\/p>\n
The article is seen as a measure to halt the nomination of the
\nincumbent Governor of West Nusa Tenggara, Harun Alrasyid, who has
\nreportedly expressed his willingness to become the next governor
\nof Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Harun, who is Jakarta's former deputy governor, was reportedly
\nnominated by the former ruling Golkar Party, which has eight
\nseats in the provincial council.<\/p>\n
The special committee's deputy chairman, Sugeng Suprijatna,
\nrejected claims on Wednesday that the article was set up to block
\nthe nomination of Harun, saying it matched Government Regulation
\nNo. 108\/1999 on gubernatorial elections.<\/p>\n
Sugeng, who is from Golkar, also denied that his party
\nnominated Harun as a candidate for the post of city governor.<\/p>\n
"We heard that Harun wants to be elected, but he has never
\nasked our party and we have not talked to him about it," he
\nclaimed.<\/p>\n
The existing Article 4 states that a governor should obtain a
\npresidential permit and the council's approval. This means that
\ncurrent City Governor Sutiyoso would find it difficult to be
\nnominated, because, as matters stand, he could not obtain such
\napproval easily.<\/p>\n
But on Tuesday, in the draft regulation, the committee added
\nthe words "from outside Jakarta" to the article.<\/p>\n
Separately, Jakarta Study Center (PPJ) secretary Ganda
\nHutabarat, claimed the article limited people's right to be
\nnominated.<\/p>\n
"The regulation should not be discriminative. The Governor of
\nSouth Sumatra should be nominated for Jakarta Governor if he is
\ncapable and nominated by council factions here," Ganda said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
He was disappointed that the council had formulated the
\nregulation draft without inviting public participation, saying
\nthat the past two weeks should have been "a time for informing
\nthe public".<\/p>\n
But the council's special committee has completed the
\nregulation draft, which is likely to be approved by the council
\non May 27, without giving any opportunity for the public to
\nanalyze and discuss it, he said.<\/p>\n
"The draft regulation has suddenly been completed today. The
\ncouncil should have held a media conference and requested
\nfeedback from the public," he said.<\/p>\n
Besides Harun and Sutiyoso, City Secretary Fauzi Bowo, the
\ncouncil's deputy chairman, Tarmidi Suhardjo, and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI Perjuangan) deputy chairman, Roy BB. Janis,
\nwere mentioned as strong candidates.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi, who is also city chapter chairman of the largest
\npolitical party, PDI Perjuangan, reportedly asked Fauzi to be his
\ndeputy governor in the election, which is scheduled in October
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan has 30 seats in the 83-seat council.<\/p>\n
Chairman of Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) Azas Tigor
\nNainggolan said several non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
\nwould nominate human rights, women activist Nursjahbani
\nKatjasungkana as an alternative gubernatorial candidate.<\/p>\n
"Although there would only be a small chance of success for
\nher, it would at least be a breakthrough," Tigor said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
He admitted having met with the National Awakening Party (PKB)
\nto discuss Nursjahbani's nomination and said the party would
\nconsider nominating her.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/council-defies-public-hopes-with-draft-election-rules-1447893297",
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