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.