Councillors stay at hotel prior to election

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Thirty-eight East Nusa Tenggara councillors have been put up at hotels for three days prior to the election of the province's governor and deputy governor.

The head of the Golkar Party faction, Melkianus Adoe, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that 20 councillors from the Golkar Party and 18 from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) were being housed at several star-rated hotels in Kupang. Eleven councillors from the coalition faction and six from the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction rejected the offer.

"The main reason to have them stay in a hotel is to make consolidation and communication easier. It's also easier for the councillors to go to the council building if they stay in the same place," he said.

But councillor Arif Rahman from the coalition faction said that the move indicated a lack of democracy within both parties.

Golkar has nominated Esthon Foenay and Gaspar Parang Ehok to run in Thursday's election. They will challenge the incumbent governor, Piet A. Tallo, who is backed by PDI Perjuangan.

Kupang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Viktor Simanjutak said that 350 officers had been deployed to guard the council building, the councillors' houses and particularly the nominees' houses. -- JP