Councillor protests Ismeth's appointment

PEKANBARU, Riau: A top councillor here lashed out on Saturday at the central government's decision to appoint Ismeth Abdullah, the chairman of the Batam Industrial Development Authority (BIDA), as acting governor of the Riau Islands administration.

Riau council speaker Chaidir, said that the government's decision was against the wishes of many people in Riau province, who hoped that Riau Governor Rusli Zainal would be appointed as acting governor.

Through a presidential decree, the acting governor would be assigned by the president to prepare the infrastructure of the Riau Islands administration, and to prepare the gubernatorial election in three months time. -- JP