Bangka-Belitung names governor candidates

Bangka-Belitung names governor candidates

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Bangka-Belitung Legislative Council has chosen eight
candidates out of a pool of 47 applicants for the fledgling
province's first gubernatorial elections.

The names of the four pairs of governor and deputy governor
candidates were handed over by the provincial legislative council
to Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno here on Thursday.

Emron Pangkopi, chairman of the legislative council, said the
legislature was slated to hold the gubernatorial elections
sometime between Jan. 25 and Jan. 30, 2002.

The hopefuls were Ichyar Musa and Amiruddin Said, both
nominated by the Golkar Party and Crescent Star Party (PBB);
Hudani Rani and Suryadi Saman, named by People's Choice Party
(Pilar); Rusman Rochiman and Taufik Achmad, both professionals;
and Darmansyah and Zulkarnaen Syamsuddin, of Golkar and PBB
respectively.

Meanwhile, Tarman Azzam, chairman of the Indonesian
Journalists' Association (PWI), failed to win political support
for his candidacy from the legislative council.

Emron, who was accompanied by deputy chairman Sukartono, Col.
Asnan Idris, Hudarni Rani, and chairmen from all six factions of
the legislative council, called on the candidates to avoid money
politics to win the race, saying strict action would be taken
against legislators involved in such activity, to keep the
elections as fair and transparent as possible.

"We will work hard to avoid money politics to allow the
election to continue fairly," Emron said.

"Therefore," he added, "non-governmental organizations in the
province should have a close supervisory role."

Umar Muchasim was appointed as acting governor for the
province which officially formed after it separated from South
Sumatra last February.

Rich with tin deposits as well as thriving fishing and farming
industries, the province is expected to develop its mining and
agriculture industry to finance its development programs.