N. Sumatra reelects Rizal Nurdin as governor<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
The North Sumatra legislative council voted on Monday 51 to 33
\nto reelect Rizal Nurdin as governor for another five years, in
\none of the few major regional election victories for the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).<\/p>\n
Rizal won the gubernatorial race along with his running mate
\nRudolf Pardede, who chairs the PDI Perjuangan's North Sumatra
\nbranch.<\/p>\n
Councillors cast 85 votes, 51 of which went to the winning
\npair. One vote was declared invalid. The remaining 33 votes went
\nto Golkar faction-nominated candidates Chaeruman Harahap and
\nSerta Ginting.<\/p>\n
The election was held in two rounds because none of the pairs
\nwon the mandatory minimum 50 percent of the vote in the first
\nround, said North Sumatra Council Speaker Ahmad Azhari.<\/p>\n
Only the two pairs of candidates with the most votes were
\nallowed to proceed to the second round. Three pairs had entered
\nMonday's race.<\/p>\n
The third pair was National Mandate faction-nominated
\nAmrun Daulay and Baskami Ginting, who also hails from the PDI
\nPerjuangan faction.<\/p>\n
Their loss left their supporters free to choose between Rizal
\nand his Golkar rival Chaeruman.<\/p>\n
Baskami said that during the second round, he told PDI Per
\njuangan members to vote for Rizal. \"I've told everyone to vote
\nfor Rizal. There is no choice because I too am a PDI Perjuangan
\nmember,\" Baskami said.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the council's PDI Perjuangan faction, Topan
\nAgung Ginting, said Rizal would not have won without the support
\nof other factions.<\/p>\n
\"We are grateful to our friends from other factions who
\nsupported our candidate,\" Topan said.<\/p>\n
Losing deputy governor candidate Serta Ginting expressed no
\ndisappointment over his lost, and said the election was democrat
\nic. \"I hope his (Rizal's) leadership will be better than during
\nhis previous governorship,\" said Serta, who is also the council's
\ndeputy speaker.<\/p>\n
Rizal and Rudolf must pass a three-day scrutiny period. The
\nelection results could be annulled if the public finds fault with
\nthe process or with the pair's track record.<\/p>\n
Monday's gubernatorial election marked one of few major victo
\nries for PDI Perjuangan. The party won the 1999 general election
\nand has the most seats at the majority of legislative councils.
\nBut many candidates from PDI Perjuangan factions have lost out to
\nothers nominated by coalitions of smaller factions. There have
\nbeen allegations that bribery concerning PDI Perjuangan faction
\nmembers have cost the party's candidates their victories in some
\nelections.<\/p>\n
Last week the PDI Perjuangan nominated candidate lost the West
\nJava gubernatorial race to Danny Setiawan. He was nominated by
\nthe Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP) factions.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary Mangara Siahaan said that the
\nparty had been successful in two gubernatorial elections, the
\nfirst being last year's election of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso and
\nthe second being Rizal.<\/p>\n
\"We're also targeting the governorships in Central and East
\nJava, East Kalimantan, South Sumatra and Riau,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/n-sumatra-reelects-rizal-nurdin-as-governor-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}