71 regional heads' tenure extended

71 regional heads' tenure extended

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has extended the terms of 67 regents and four
mayors in a bid to maintain political stability ahead of the July
5 presidential election.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Tuesday
the regents and mayors would remain in office until at least
October, when amendments to the regional autonomy law should be
completed, paving the way for elections.

"The regional heads' term of office will end between April and
June, but the President (Megawati Soekarnoputri) has already
issued a presidential decree extending their terms and
simultaneously delaying the election of new heads until October
2004.

"This decision was made to maintain political stability during
the upcoming presidential election," he said during a hearing
with House of Representatives Commission II for legal and home
affairs.

Hari did not identify the regents and mayors. He added that
the upcoming gubernatorial election in Lampung would take place
as scheduled.

"The President has approved the gubernatorial election in
order to restore security and order in the province," he said.

The government ordered a rerun of the Lampung gubernatorial
election despite a ruling by the Jakarta State Administrative
Court that the central government's decision to block the
inauguration of Alzier Dianis Thabranie, who was elected in
December 2002, was illegitimate.

Alzier's inauguration was blocked after he was convicted of
graft and using a fake university diploma.

During the hearing at the House, lawmakers asked the minister
to take all necessary steps to ensure the bureaucracy's
neutrality during the country's first ever direct presidential
election.

"The home minister should follow government regulations, which
require a commitment to a clean and secure presidential
election," the chairman of the commission, Teras Narang, said at
the conclusion to the hearing.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri will contest the election and
several of her ministers have joined the Mega camp to help her
win a five-year mandate.

Legislators from the Golkar Party and the National Mandate
Party (PAN) have expressed concern that Megawati could mobilize
the bureaucracy to help her campaign for the presidency.