Governors' neutrality questioned<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman and Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta\/Jayapura<\/p>\n
Despite the assertion by the country's 32 governors that they
\nwill stay neutral in the runoff election, an analyst expressed
\ndoubts on Sunday that the pledge would have a significant impact
\non the fairness of the poll.<\/p>\n
Sukardi Rinakit of the Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated (SSS)
\norganization said that what the governors had said was merely a
\npolitical statement to hide their true intention of backing
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
He said that it had been crystal clear that the governors
\nwould support Megawati in her reelection bid as they were mostly
\nmembers of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) or
\nthose who had support from the party to thank for their
\ngubernatorial positions.<\/p>\n
\"Even if the governors are not PDI-P members, they will want
\nto secure their positions by supporting Megawati. They face dire
\nprospects should Megawati fail to get reelected,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said that the governors of provinces outside Java, who were
\nmostly endorsed by the Golkar Party, would also throw their
\nweight behind Megawati, who would likely be supported by the
\nparty in the runoff election.<\/p>\n
Sukardi said that front-runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would
\nnot have much support from the country's governors. \"Susilo is
\nnot in possession of a strong political base to overpower the
\nGolkar Party and PDI-P, which reign over the bureaucracy,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sukardi was commenting on the pledge made by the country's 32
\ngovernors to maintain neutrality in the poll during the second
\nnational meeting of the Association of Provincial
\nGovernors(APPSI) in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, over the
\nweekend.<\/p>\n
The statement was an apparent move to ward off suggestions
\nthat the governors were going all out to support the Megawati-
\nHasyim ticket.<\/p>\n
Apart from the neutrality statement, the governors also
\npledged to help disseminate information regarding electoral
\nprocedures to prevent any possibility of unrest following the
\npoll.<\/p>\n
APPSI chairman Fadel Muhammad said governors had were
\ncommitted to the country's democracy.<\/p>\n
\"We'd like to show the international community that provincial
\nleaders fully support democracy and want the people to decide,\"
\nsaid Fadel, who is also the governor of the new province of
\nGorontalo.<\/p>\n
He denied the suggestions of partiality, saying that Megawati
\nhad never ordered the governors to back her candidacy although
\nshe could capitalize on her position as the direct superiors of
\nthe governors by doing so.<\/p>\n
\"Neither Ibu Megawati nor Minister of Home Affairs Hari
\nSabarno have ever asked us to lend our support, and this has
\nencouraged us governors to remain neutral,\" said Fadel.<\/p>\n
He was quick to add that results of the APPSI meeting would be
\ndisseminated to mayors and regents in all provinces to ensure
\nthat local administrations did their utmost to ensure the success
\nof the election.<\/p>\n
Separately, APPSI board of experts chairman Ryaas Rasyid said
\nthe meeting was part of the effort to restore the powers of the
\ngovernors in their jurisdictions. These powers had been reduced
\nby Law No. 22\/1999 on local autonomy.<\/p>\n
The meeting also produced an agreement to demand that the
\ncentral government and the House of Representatives review the
\nlaw as well as Law No. 25\/1999 on budgetary arrangements between
\nthe central government and local administrations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/governors-neutrality-questioned-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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