Imam Utomo elected East Java governor<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): After a controversial nomination process, Maj.
\nGen. Imam Utomo Suparno, former chief of the Brawijaya Military
\nCommand overseeing East Java, was elected East Java governor
\nyesterday, replacing Basofi Soedirman.<\/p>\n
Imam, who now sits with the Armed Forces faction in the House
\nof Representatives, won 65 votes and an overwhelming majority
\nfrom the East Java provincial legislature.<\/p>\n
His two rivals Syumli Sadli and Bambang Rahino Setokoemo
\nreceived 25 and 10 votes respectively.<\/p>\n
The election was held under a cloud of controversy as 5,000
\ndemonstrated outside the legislature building.<\/p>\n
The gubernatorial nomination process drew speculation that the
\nelection was being rigged in Imam's favor because the Ministry of
\nHome Affairs insisted on vetting the list of candidates drawn up
\nby the provincial legislature before the election was held.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. (ret.) Haris Sudarno and Basofi were dropped from
\nthe initial list of five nominees.<\/p>\n
No official explanation was given for the exclusion of the two
\nmen in a Ministry of Home Affairs' letter dated July 30
\ndiscussing the candidates for East Java governor.<\/p>\n
Sources said the names were crossed out because the Armed
\nForces had endorsed Imam Oetomo.<\/p>\n
Basofi, a retired Army major general and former Jakarta deputy
\ngovernor, will officially end his five-year tenure as governor
\nhere on Aug. 26.<\/p>\n
Tight security was put in place while the election was
\nproceeding. A heavy presence of security officers held back
\nprotesters who approached the legislature building yelling \"Hidup
\nBasofi\" (Long Live Basofi) and \"Hidup Reformasi\" (Long Live
\nReforms).<\/p>\n
Scuffles broke out when security officers prevented the crowd
\nfrom entering the grounds of the legislature building.<\/p>\n
No casualties were reported in the incident.<\/p>\n
Chief of the Surabaya Military District Col. Bambang Satriawan
\nsaid that around 1,000 military and police personnel had been
\ndeployed to safeguard the legislature building.<\/p>\n
\"We were committed to maintaining security for the election.
\nWe did not want it to be disturbed by violence and riots,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Basofi, who was present during the election proceedings,
\nshowed no emotion, saying only that he was satisfied with the
\nelection but that it was \"up to the people to accept or reject
\nit.\"<\/p>\n
Imam, who was born in Jombang in 1943, said the issue was not
\nabout who won and who lost, but how best to develop the province
\nand maintain security during the crisis.<\/p>\n
Brewing<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in West Nusa Tenggara, local military commander Col.
\nSoekotjo quickly stamped on mounting speculation that he had a
\nhand in persuading legislators to pick a certain candidate during
\nSaturday's gubernatorial election in the province.<\/p>\n
In Saturday's election Jakarta Deputy Governor Harun Al Rasjid
\ngained a majority with 22 votes. The other two candidates,
\nMujitahid and H.L. Azhar, received 17 votes and six votes
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
Harun, who hails from the province, will replace the outgoing
\nGovernor Warsito for the 1998\/2003 period.<\/p>\n
Local ulemas have expressed concern over allegations that
\nSoekotjo instructed members of the Armed Forces faction in the
\nprovincial legislature to vote for a certain candidate in a
\nmeeting held before the election took place.<\/p>\n
\"In God's name, I never ordered them to elect a certain
\ncandidate,\" he said in a press release yesterday.<\/p>\n
He admitted meeting with members of the Armed Forces faction
\nbefore the election, but claimed that he only asked them to
\nresist the temptation to accept bribes and to cast their votes
\nwith integrity.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, support for Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X
\ncontinued to grow as a group of 50 becak (pedicab) drivers went
\nto the provincial legislature to express their backing for him.<\/p>\n
\"The Sultan is someone who cares about little people like us,\"
\nsaid Bowo, one of the becak drivers.<\/p>\n
Sri Sultan looks unchallenged in his bid to replace Paku Alam
\nVIII as governor, despite the provincial United Development Party
\nfaction's plan to nominate one of their own legislators.<\/p>\n
Sources told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the provincial
\nlegislature had received no less than 60 letters of support for
\nSri Sultan from a number of different societal groups. (nur\/44\/rms)<\/p>",
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