Warsito chosen as C. Kalimantan governor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Central Kalimantan legislature yesterday
\nvoted overwhelmingly for Warsito Rasman, the central government's
\ncandidate, to become the province's new governor.<\/p>\n
Warsito, the director general of public administration and
\nregional autonomy as well as the province's current caretaker
\ngovernor, won 39 of 44 possible votes in the election held in
\nPalangka Raya, Central Kalimantan capital, yesterday.<\/p>\n
The consensus inside the legislature was not matched outside,
\nwhere some 100 people held a protest accusing assembly members of
\nsuccumbing to pressure from the central government, according to
\na reporter from Kompas daily.<\/p>\n
The election capped weeks of controversy with many local
\ngroups insisting that the time had come for the province to be
\nled by a locally born leader.<\/p>\n
Warsito, 62 years old, was appointed caretaker governor in
\nJanuary after the Ministry of Home Affairs was virtually forced
\nto annul an earlier election when the legislature was divided
\nbetween a local figure and a candidate supplied by Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The other two candidates in yesterday's election were both
\nlocal figures. Donis N Singaraca, former Palangkaraya mayor and
\nElieser Gerson, the provincial government secretary, received one
\nvote each. Three other votes were declared invalid.<\/p>\n
The legislature is dominated by the Golkar faction with 31
\nmembers, followed by the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction with eight.
\nThe United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) factions have three and two members, respectively.<\/p>\n
The election, and the ballot counting, was supervised by the
\nMinistry of Home Affairs' Inspector General Soedradjad
\nNataatmadja. He later declared the outcome of the election to be
\nvalid, and that all procedures had been followed.<\/p>\n
Warsito's election is still subject to confirmation by
\nPresident Soeharto who has the constitutional authority to
\nappoint provincial governors.<\/p>\n
It was the Golkar faction that rebelled after the January
\nelection. This time the faction members were under strict orders
\nfrom the group's central executive board in Jakarta to toe the
\nofficial line.<\/p>\n
Local political analysts quickly gave the election results a
\nbig thumbs down.<\/p>\n
Baselman N. Hamun of Palangkaraya University said the election
\nshowed that democracy in the province is still \"regulated.\"<\/p>\n
Another analyst, Napa J Awat, said Warsito is not truly rooted
\nin the region and this will have implications when he assumes the
\ngovernorship later.<\/p>\n
The 100 demonstrators outside the legislature failed to occupy
\nthe building and they subsequently dispersed peacefully after
\nyelling out their demands. (emb)<\/p>",
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