Election delay requested in Aceh<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The provincial administration of Aceh and the legislative council
\nhave proposed to the central government that regional elections
\nin the tsunami-hit province be delayed until October.<\/p>\n
Ministry of Home Affairs' Director General for Regional
\nAutonomy Progo Nurdjaman said on Friday that the October time
\nframe was jointly proposed by acting Aceh governor Azwar
\nAbubakar, Aceh local council and the local office of the
\nIndependent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP).<\/p>\n
\"I met all of Aceh's political figures when I went there
\nrecently. They proposed to the central government holding the
\nregional elections across Aceh simultaneously on Oct. 25, from
\nthe initial schedule of May this year,\" Progo said.<\/p>\n
\"We are currently preparing the (central government's)
\nresponse to the proposal,\" Progo said.<\/p>\n
According to government data, at least 11 regencies and three
\nmayoralties in Aceh will elect new administration leaders this
\nyear. An election to pick a new governor for the province should
\nalso be held soon as the current governor, Abdulah Puteh, besides
\nbeing suspended due to his corruption conviction, will end this
\nterm in November.<\/p>\n
Eleven provinces and 215 regencies and mayoralties throughout
\nthe country will hold elections for new governors, mayors and
\nregents in June.<\/p>\n
But a number of regions and experts have called on the central
\ngovernment to delay the June regional elections -- which will be
\nthe first direct elections of regional leaders -- due to various
\nreasons, including budget and time constraints.<\/p>\n
The government has also issued a regulation in lieu of law in
\nresponse to the Constitutional Court's annulment of several
\narticles of Law No. 32\/2004 on regional administrations. The new
\nruling allows for possible delays in regional elections in
\nregions experiencing security disturbances and natural disasters.<\/p>\n
An analyst previously suggested that the central government
\ndelay regional elections in Aceh for over five years, pending the
\ncomplete rehabilitation and reconstruction of the tsunami-hit
\nregion.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, amid debate about servicemen participating in
\nregional elections, Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters will
\nofficially announce early next week the names of members who have
\nbeen approved to run in elections.<\/p>\n
\"The TNI chief (Gen. Endriartono Sutarto) is processing the
\nlist of servicemen who have requested to be allowed to run in
\nelections, and we will officially announce their names to the
\npublic next Tuesday at the latest,\" TNI information officer Col.
\nA. Yani Basuki told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Based on preliminary TNI data, several middle-ranking military
\nofficers have requested Endriartono approve their participation
\nin regional elections.<\/p>\n
One military contestant is the current TNI head of information
\nand data processing Col. DJ Nachrowi, who has requested that he
\nbe made non-active from his structural job to enable him to run
\nin the regental election in Ogan Ilir regency in Palembang, South
\nSumatra.<\/p>\n
\"I am awaiting approval from the TNI chief of whether or not I
\ncan proceed with the regental election, which will take place on
\nJune 25,\" Nachrowi told the Post.<\/p>\n
Nachrowi is being backed by three major political parties:
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI-P), Rachmawati Soekarnoputri's Pioneer Party and Gen. (ret)
\nEddy Sudrajat's Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI).<\/p>\n
\"I will compete with three other candidates,\" Nachrowi said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/election-delay-requested-in-aceh-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }