Central Kalimantan election has Golkar cadres revolting

JAKARTA (JP): The ruling political organization Golkar is facing dissension from within its ranks in Central Kalimantan over the recent election of the province's new governor.

A number of executives at Golkar's Central Kalimantan regional board had promised to resign if the government went ahead with appointing Warsito Rasman, who won this week's gubernatorial election at the provincial legislature.

"You can accuse us of making empty threats, but I'm ready to prove, and so are many others here, that we will resign if Warsito is appointed," Inun Maseh, the board's head of arts and culture department, was quoted by Kompas daily as saying, in Palangkaraya, the province's capital.

Warsito was voted in overwhelmingly on Wednesday with 39 out of a possible 44 votes from the Golkar-dominated legislature. His election however is still subject to confirmation by President Soeharto.

Warsito is the director general for public administration and regional autonomy at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He was appointed caretaker governor in January after the central government was forced to annul an earlier election when the legislature was divided on two candidates, one sponsored by Jakarta and another by local figures and organizations.

The revolt at the time was led by members of the legislature from the Golkar faction who took the lead in insisting that the province should now be lead by a locally-born figures.

Their action forced the Ministry of Home Affairs in Jakarta to organize another election, which was held this week.

In the second election however, members of the Golkar faction appeared to have been tamed after strict orders from the Central Executive Board in Jakarta that they should toe the official line.

Warsito beat out two other candidates, both Central Kalimantan natives, in the election in which the nominations had earlier been vetted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

100 people

While the legislature appeared unanimous this time, there was a commotion outside the legislature building when the voting proceeded as about 100 people protested the election and accused the legislators of succumbing to pressure from Jakarta.

Sabran Achmad, who says he helped campaign for Golkar in five general elections between 1977 and 1992, said he believed the outcome of Wednesday's vote did not reflect the true aspirations of the local people.

Sabran said he strongly believes that the majority in Central Kalimantan, particularly the dominant Dayak tribe in the hinterland, still oppose the appointment of Warsito as governor.

Prof. K.M.A Usop, who heads the local Dayak council, said he and various people and organizations are still fighting to foil the appointment of Warsito.

One way is by writing to President Soeharto, asking him to use his discretion and take into consideration the feelings of the local people before naming his choice of governor.

The letter was signed by seven Central Kalimantan leaders and was sent through the advisory board of the Central Kalimantan provincial board of Golkar, Usop said. (emb)