Sultan to serve for 2nd term<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
After months of debate and repeated deadlocks over gubernatorial
\nelection procedures, the Yogyakarta legislative council agreed on
\nTuesday to declare Sultan Hamengkubuwono X governor for a second
\nfive-year term.<\/p>\n
The appointment of the sultan from the Yogyakarta Kraton and
\nhis deputy, Paku Alam IX from Pakualaman principality, was in
\norder to maintain the province's special status, councillors
\nargued.<\/p>\n
All six factions in the council finally agreed upon the move
\nduring a plenary meeting attended by the sultan.<\/p>\n
"We finally came to a decision, mainly by listening to and
\ntaking into account local people's aspirations," council deputy
\nspeaker Boedi Dewantoro told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
However, the sultan will not be sworn in by Minister of Home
\nAffairs Hari Sabarno until after President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nendorses the appointment. The governor ends his first five-year
\nterm on Oct. 3.<\/p>\n
Boedi said he hoped the sultan and Paku Alam would be sworn in
\nby Oct. 3.<\/p>\n
By law, gubernatorial candidates from the royal family must be
\ntaken into account for the province.<\/p>\n
The council set up a special committee in March to deliberate
\nprocedures on gubernatorial elections in preparation for the
\ngubernatorial election scheduled for last month.<\/p>\n
However, it failed to approve the procedures due to a series
\nof protests by local residents who demanded that the sultan and
\nPaku Alam be directly appointed for a second term.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 3, the council disbanded the committee, bowing to the
\nprotests.<\/p>\n
"We had no choice because local people wanted the sultan and
\nPaku Alam reappointed. So we made this decision today in the
\nframework of Yogyakarta's special status," Boedi said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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