39 governor candidates listed

MAUMERE, East Nusa Tenggara: The province's legislative council has received a record-high 39 names from the public for the next governor, a councilor has said.

The candidates will vie for the chair that incumbent governor Herman Musakabe will vacate in July. The council will short-list them next week before submitting the strongest candidates to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Council speaker Simon Petrus Soliwoa said Musakabe enjoyed the most support, followed by Pieter Alexander Tallo, the deputy governor; Simon himself; Daniel Woda Palle, a local Golkar functionary and Gaspar Parang Ehok, currently the Manggarai regent.

"People have until the end of March to propose candidates," Simon said. "At the moment people are still inundating the council (with names)."

The next governor will serve until 2003. (yac)