Utomo sworn in as East Java governor<\/p>\n
SURABAYA: Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno swore in Imam
\nUtomo on Tuesday as East Java governor to serve another five-year
\nterm until 2008.<\/p>\n
Around 600 people attended the inauguration ceremony,
\nincluding local councillors, politicians and officials, as well
\nas Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea and
\nMinister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih.<\/p>\n
Also present were former independence fighter Roeslan
\nAbdulgani, chairman of East Java's National Awakening Party (PKB)
\nChoirul Anam and leader of the province's Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
\nAli Maschan Musa.<\/p>\n
\"We should not continue to look back. Leave that behind and
\nunite again to develop East Java for the future of its people,\"
\nHari told the gathering.<\/p>\n
Utomo, paired with Soenarjo, was backed by President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle to
\ncontest the gubernatorial election on July 17, 2003.<\/p>\n
He won 63 votes from the 100-strong East Java Legislative
\nCouncil, overpowering duo Abdul Kahfi and Ridwan Hisjam nominated
\nby the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
Former president and PKB chief patron Abdurrahman Wahid said
\nKahfi would have won the election if Golkar was committed to
\nsupporting the coalition with his party. Kahfi, a former deputy
\nJakarta governor, received only 34 votes.<\/p>\n
Utomo, speaking to journalists after the ceremony, promised to
\nprioritize development programs to help the poor.<\/p>\n
The programs will include free education for students from
\npoor families, he said.--JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/utomo-sworn-in-as-east-java-governor-1447893297",
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