Amin Syam sworn in as new governor of S. Sulawesi
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi
As in Southeast Sulawesi, the swearing-in of Amin Syam as new governor of South Sulawesi has been in limbo amid the ongoing police investigation into bribery allegations during the gubernatorial election.
Home Minister Hari Sabarno swore in Amin as governor, with Syachrul Yasin Limbo as deputy governor, to replace H.Z.B. Palaguna for the 2003 to 2008 period.
An alliance of local nongovernmental organizations has submitted a report on bribery involving former gubernatorial candidates to the local police for further investigation.
Spokesman for the Coalition of Supervision on the Gubernatorial Succession (KPSG) Abraham Samad said the NGOs were waiting for an immediate police investigation into the case to give legal certainty to all sides regarding the governor.
He said his team had collected evidence that former gubernatorial candidates, including Amin, bribed their supporters in the provincial legislature in their attempt to win the election.
"Our findings on bribery allegations have already been handed over to the police and publicized by the local mass media. It's up to the police and the public to respond to the new governor and the allegations," he said.
Hari said that, during the swearing-in ceremony, the provincial legislature should take account of the recent gubernatorial election as the central government no longer wished to interfere in the internal affairs of regions now that the 1999 autonomy law had come into effect.
Amin, also chairman of the Golkar Party chapter in the province, reportedly held a number of meetings with other factions in Jakarta and Makassar to gather political support before the gubernatorial election.
Student groups and NGOs have called on the police to follow up KPSG's findings to investigate whether the gubernatorial election was valid or not.
Corruption allegations are plaguing a number of Golkar figures. Golkar chairman and House Speaker Akbar Tandjung has been pressured to step down following the Jakarta High Court decision that upheld the district court's three-year jail sentence for his misappropriation of Rp 40 billion in Bulog funds.
Ali Mase, recently sworn in as new governor of Southeast Sulawesi, will likely face charges over his alleged involvement in bribery during the gubernatorial election last December.
Both Akbar, Ali and other Golkar figures, including Gorontalo governor Fadel Muhammad, also attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Nurdin Halid, another Golkar figure who contended the gubernatorial election, was not seen at the ceremony.
The installment of Amin, also chairman of the provincial legislative council, went on peacefully and under tight security provided by the local police and the local unit of the Mobile Brigade.