Central Kalimantan election has Golkar cadres revolting
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)