Bowing to protests, Hari delays swearing in regent

Bowing to protests, Hari delays swearing in regent

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Amid public protests, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno on
Monday postponed installing Hengky Yusuf Wau as acting head for
the new South Nias regency in North Sumatra.

Hari swore in Manatap Simanungkalit and Tigor S. Solin as
acting regents for the two other new regencies of Humbang
Hasundutan and Pakpak Bharat respectively, but suspended the
inauguration of Hengky.

The central government had had to delay Hengky's swearing in
to prevent communal conflict among people in South Nias, the
minister said.

"The government does not want local people involved in a
conflict because of the appointment of an official," Hari told a
ceremony to inaugurate the three new regencies in Medan, North
Sumatra.

Speaking to the press after the ceremony, he could not say
when the matter would be resolved, saying it depended on local
residents.

The central government had authorized North Sumatra Governor
T. Rizal Nurdin to resolve the issue in the near future, he
added.

Last Friday, delegations from South Nias came to Medan to meet
Rizal to step up pressure against the central government's plan
to swear in Hengky.

The representatives said they and other local people were
ready to face jail to thwart the installment of Hengky, whom they
called a "government puppet".

They also threatened to disrupt the regency administration
should the government go ahead with making Hengky an acting
regent.

Rizal claimed he knew nothing about the appointment of Hengky
as he was not officially notified about this.

Outside the governor's office where the tightly guarded
ceremony took place, thousands of people from South Nias and
Humbang Hasundutan staged demonstrations.

A minor clash erupted between rival protesters from Humbang,
who opposed and backed the appointment of Manatap as their acting
regent. At least one person was taken to hospital for arm
injuries.

Before being split, South Nias used to be part of Nias regency
and Humbang Hasundutan was created from the separation of North
Tapanuli regency, while Pakpak Bharat used to part of Dairi
regency.

Speaking to the press after the ceremony guarded by more than
350 police personnel, Hari said he had so far inaugurated the
creation of 23 new regencies and cities as the result of
expansion programs in nine provinces across Indonesia.

He said that apart from South Nias, similar disputes had also
hit two new regencies in North Sulawesi, which forced him to
delay the swearing in of their regents.

Such disputes were normal, Hari said.

The minister also called for the suspension of Pematang
Siantar Mayor Marim Purba to face an investigation into his
alleged involvement in a Rp 700 million graft case.

"The local legislative council should recommend to the
government that Mayor Marim Purba be made non-active because
legal proceedings are underway," Hari said

Without such a recommendation, the government cannot make any
decision in relation to Marim, he added.