Walkout fails to stop mayoral election<\/p>\n
Kasparman Piliang, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra<\/p>\n
A walkout marred the election of the new Padang Panjang mayor in
\nWest Sumatra on Monday, with at least seven of the 19 members of
\nthe local legislative council storming out of the meeting.<\/p>\n
The seven councillors -- five from Golkar Party, two from the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and two
\nfrom the United Development Party (PPP) -- said the mayoral
\nelection had to be postponed, arguing it violated the council's
\nstanding orders.<\/p>\n
But the walkout failed to stop the contest and 12 members of
\nthe council unanimously elected Suir Syam as the new mayor, and
\nAdirozal as his deputy. Suir will replace the incumbent mayor,
\nYohanis Tamin.<\/p>\n
Fatoni Rasyid, who chairs the Golkar faction on the council,
\nsaid the walkout was to protest procedural flaws in the election.<\/p>\n
\"We staged the protest because one of the candidates had not
\nfulfilled the administrative requirements,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rasyid said that under the regulations on the mayoral
\nelection, a civil servant must obtain permission from the
\nminister overseeing the state agency he works for before
\nstanding.<\/p>\n
He was apparently referring to Adirozal, who is a lecturer in
\nPadang Panjang. It was believed that he had not obtained
\npermission from the national education minister.<\/p>\n
The pairing of Suir and Adirozal was nominated by the National
\nMandate Party (PAN), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the
\nJustice Party (PK).<\/p>\n
Suir and Adirozal defeated their rivals -- the pairings of
\nIskandar Hamzah and Ahmad Rahdi, who were backed by the PDI
\nPerjuangan, Afrizal Moetwa and Teddi Alfonso backed by Golkar,
\nand Guspardi Gaus and Masroel Moesa backed by the PPP.<\/p>\n
The military\/police faction did not name any candidates.<\/p>\n
\"Whatever the result is, we will consistently reject it as it
\nis legally flawed,\" said Rasyid, who was among those who walked
\nout.<\/p>\n
He argued that the election should have been attended by at
\nleast two-thirds of the electoral committee members and all the
\nfaction chairpersons.<\/p>\n
\"What happened in the election was that three of the six
\nfaction chairpersons, and four of the 10-member election
\ncommittee walked out or did not show up,\" Rasyid said.<\/p>\n
Three months ago, similar chaos marred the election of Djasril
\nas the new mayor of Padang, who it was claimed had failed to meet
\nthe administrative requirements. This led to a delay in his
\ninauguration.<\/p>",
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