Banten applies democracy in gubernatorial poll
The Jakarta Post, Serang
The Banten gubernatorial election elected Djoko Munandar as governor of the new province and Atut Chosiah as deputy governor on Monday. However, many accused it of failing to demonstrate the democratic process to local people.
The election was held by all 69 members of the provincial legislative council, who were tightly escorted by around 500 security personnel from the local police and military in the presence of civilian defense guards and demonstrating students.
The problem was not that Djoko and his deputy won a majority of the votes but that local authorities, including the legislature, failed to perform a transparent, fair and popular election as had been expected by the majority of local people.
Djoko received 37 votes while other candidates, Ace Suhaidi Madsupi and Herman Heruman got 23 and five votes respectively.
Under such closed conditions and tight security, defeated candidates accepted their losses in accordance with the election's results and pledged to help the elected governor to develop democracy in the province, which was officially formed on Oct. 17, 2000.
"It is normal in democracy. There must be winners and losers," said Ace after the election.
Djoko said he would be consistent with the vision he recently presented before the legislature that his main program in the 2001 to 2006 period would be to give more attention to the development of education, poverty alleviation and reducing the numbers of unemployed.
"I will do my best to accompany the elected governor to make his development program a success," said Atut.
According to a recent survey conducted by Tirta Yasa University in Cilegon, illiteracy, high unemployment and low life expectancy were still fundamental problems facing many remote areas in the province such as the regencies of Lebak, Serang, Tangerang and Pandeglang.
The election results appeared strange and controversial as Ace who was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the major faction in the legislature, was defeated while the winners came from the minority United Development Party (PPP) faction.
More than 500 members, clad in black uniforms, of the Banten Self-Defense Militia had been guarding the election since the legislature had announced the three candidates to contend the gubernatorial election, while an alliance of students alleged the presence of money politics.
Learning from other province's bad experiences, the students demanded the legislature cancel the gubernatorial election and let local people directly elect their own governor.
It was not clear who the student demonstrators were complaining about but they claimed that a majority of councillors, who were transferred from the West Java legislature following the province's formation, were not aware of local people's political aspirations.
"The gubernatorial election will not bring an improvement to local social welfare as money politics has played a dominant role throughout the process," said one student.
Iwan Rosadi, secretary of the PDI Perjuangan faction at the legislature, said his faction would carry out an investigation into the allegation of money politics.
"The results of the gubernatorial election must be annulled by the legislature if the candidates are found to have been involved in money politics. We do not tolerate any vote rigging and any use of political money," he said.
Djoko's victory in the gubernatorial election has yet to be definitive as President Megawati Soekarnoputri has yet to give her last say on the matter.
Similar to this case, the President has yet to recognize the results of the gubernatorial election in Gorontalo and North Maluku because the winners were allegedly involved in money politics.
Both businessman Fadel Muhammad who won the gubernatorial election in Gorontalo last August and Abdul Gafur who won the governorship in North Maluku last September have yet to be sworn in by the home affairs minister because the President has yet to authenticate their victory in the election.