Businessman elected West Kalimantan governor
Bambang Bider, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak
Businessman Usman Djafar and running mate Laurentius Hermanus Kadir were elected governor and vice governor respectively of West Kalimantan for the 2003 to 2008 period in a tightly guarded plenary meeting at the provincial legislature (DPRD) here on Thursday.
The pair received 32 of 54 votes to defeat competitors Gusti Syamsumin and Massardy Kaphat, who collected 22 votes in the second round of elections.
The elected pair will face public scrutiny in the next five days before they are inaugurated on Jan. 13, 2003.
The legislature has given the public the opportunity to scrutinize governor candidates from Dec. 13 through 17, including exposing any involvement they may have had in criminal activity.
Secretary of West Kalimantan provincial legislature Morni Syahidan said the legislators would convene on Dec. 17 to assess any reports submitted by the public about the governor-elect and vice governor-elect.
A day later, on Dec. 18, legislators are scheduled to endorse the election of Usman and Kardi before submitting their names to the home affairs ministry.
Syahidan said that the elected candidates could be annulled should they be proved guilty of buying votes or involvement in money politics during their elections.
Usman and Kadir were nominated by the United Development Party (PPP), while Gusti and Kaphat were supported by the Golkar Party.
Four pairs of candidates competed in the first round of elections on Thursday. Usman and Kadir collected 21 votes, while Gusti and Kaphat received 19.
Two other pairs, Djawari-Rudy Alamsyahrum, and Henri Usman- Michael Oendeon collected 6 and 8 votes respectively.
Djawari and Rudy were nominated by President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), while Henri-Michael were backed by the Unity in Diversity Party (PBI).
The plenary meeting, presided over by DPRD chairman Silvanus Sungkalang, was attended by outgoing Governor Aspar Aswin and police chief Brig. Gen. Iwan Pandjiwinata.
"Thanks be to God. May I can carry out this mandate for the benefit of West Kalimantan province," Usman, who is also a director of the ALatief Corp., was quoted by Antara as saying on Thursday.
The election was tightly guarded by security forces in anticipation of possible violence.
Military and police personnel were deployed to some strategic places, including in the Assembly hall and its surroundings.
Before the election, all 54 councillors were briefed at the Pontianak Police Headquarters before being transported to the legislature, some 400 meters away.
Barbed wire was also placed outside the legislature building to prevent thousands of supporters of candidates from entering the legislature compound.
Police chief Brig. Gen. Iwan Pandjiwinata praised the people of West Kalimantan for maintaining security and order during the elections.
He expressed the hope that stability during gubernatorial elections might signal the return of security and order in the province.
"The provincial police thank the public for their orderly behavior," Iwan said, adding that if they could maintain that state of affairs, the provincial administration could continue its development programs throughout the province.