Councillors stay at hotel prior to election

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