Regent told to step down after Flores arson attack<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
\nlargest faction in the East Flores Regency Council, proclaimed on
\nThursday that it had withdrawn support for Regent Felix Fernandez
\nfor his failure to meet \"the people's aspirations\".<\/p>\n
\"He must resign,\" Kristo Blasin, a senior PDI Perjuangan
\nexecutive, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Felix is a member of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's PDI
\nPerjuangan.<\/p>\n
The statement came after thousands of local residents launched
\narson attacks on a courthouse and the prosecutor's office in the
\nEast Flores capital of Larantuka.<\/p>\n
The attacks occurred after a panel of judges sentenced local
\nCatholic priest Father Frans Amanuen to two months in jail for
\nlibel, with a probation period of five months -- meaning he will
\nnot go to prison unless he reoffends within the next five months.<\/p>\n
The sentence has garnered increasing support and sympathy for
\nthe priest, who has consistently criticized the regent for
\nalleged graft.<\/p>\n
At the same time, the sentence sharply reduced the popularity
\nof the regent among the local people.<\/p>\n
There has been growing demands for the regent to provide
\nclarification over an alleged mark up in the purchase of a multi-
\npurpose boat for local government amounting to Rp 3 billion
\n(US$352,941), among other projects.<\/p>\n
\"As a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, he
\nhas failed to live up to people's expectations for good
\ngovernance. He must resign,\" said Kristo, who is the deputy
\nspeaker of the East Flores legislative council.<\/p>\n
The regent is apparently not the only target of local
\npolitical leaders.<\/p>\n
Following the arson attack, the central executive board of the
\nCatholic Democratic Party (PKD) also decided that the party would
\nrecall cadre Anton Mado Tupen from his current position as the
\nspeaker of the East Flores legislative council over his failure
\nto meet people's interests.<\/p>\n
The central board of the party issued a decree that dismissed
\nAnton as a member of the party, and it would soon follow up the
\nmove with the recall.<\/p>\n
The decree, dated Nov. 19, was signed by the party's acting
\nchairman Jos Rahawadan and secretary-general Ellyas Nyoman.<\/p>\n
In the decree, the executive board said that Anton's failure
\nto help implement good governance and justice in the regency had
\nled to the arson attack, it said.<\/p>\n
In a separate development, the Larantuka District Court and
\nthe local prosecutor's office were still closed as of Thursday.<\/p>\n
Most of the judges and prosecutors have fled Larantuka,
\nfearing they might become the target of assaults by angry local
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
Of the six judges at the Larantuka District Court, five of
\nthem had fled Larantuka, leaving Wayan Suparta, the head of the
\ndistrict court.<\/p>\n
Eight prosecutors have also fled Larantuka, leaving Katar
\nGinting, the head of Larantuka prosecutor's office, as the only
\nprosecutor staying put.<\/p>\n
The head of East Nusa Tenggara Prosecutor's Office, B.R.
\nPangaribuan, who oversees Larantuka Prosecutor's Office, said
\nthat he would consult the attorney general in Jakarta, to seek a
\nsolution to the problem.<\/p>\n
Police have arrested three men who took part in the Saturday
\nriot. They were identified as Yohanis Sabon, Agustinus Diaz and
\nWem.<\/p>\n
The three have been questioned by police. But it remains
\nunclear if they were the masterminds of the violence or not.<\/p>\n
The suspects had admitted taking part in the rioting, the
\nlocal police said.<\/p>",
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