Councillors threaten to boycott governor election

Councillors threaten to boycott governor election

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The 12 members of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction on the
City Council have threatened to stage a walkout should
councillors be required to write down the names of their chosen
candidates on their ballot papers when voting in the Jakarta
gubernatorial election for the 2002-2007 term.

"We oppose the need to write the gubernatorial and vice
gubernatorial candidates' names on the ballot papers. Therefore,
it is better for us to walk out of the plenary session if they
insist on it," councillor Syamsidar Siregar told reporters on
Monday.

Syamsidar was referring to previous reports that a group of
legislators from several political factions, led by the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction,
were insisting that the councillors write down the names of their
chosen candidates on their ballot papers.

The election is scheduled to take place on Sept. 11.

Syamsidar and other opposition councillors said that as
councillors could be identified from their handwriting, the
requirement could lead to manipulation and bribery.

According to Syamsidar, his faction would withdraw councillor
Suwardi (also of the PAN faction), from his position as the
chairman of the election committee if the handwriting requirement
was insisted on.

Meanwhile, some other councillors, lead by the National
Mandate Party (PAN) faction, said on Monday that the names of the
seven pairs of candidates should be printed on the ballot papers
with each councillor then just marking, ticking or punching the
names of whoever they wished to vote for.

The election committee, whose members consist of
representatives from the 11 factions on the City Council, have
met several times but have failed to reach an agreement on the
issue.

On Tuesday, the election committee will meet again and if a
deal is not reached, the issue will be taken to a council plenary
session.

PDI Perjuangan faction chairman Agung Imam Soemanto insisted
that writing down the names of the selected candidates on the
ballot paper was a common practice in legislative institutions
like the People's Consultative Assembly and the House of
Representatives.

Agung stressed that his faction would vote in favor of the
system if the matter went before a plenary session.

Observers assume that the system will make it easier for Agung
to control the loyalty of 30 members of his party in supporting
incumbent Governor Sutiyoso.

The PDI Perjuangan's support for Sutiyoso was ordered by party
chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. The party has said it will
sanction any councillors or party members opposing the
chairwoman's directive.

In a related development, election committee member Posman
Siahaan said that Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno would
likely approve the seven pairs of gubernatorial and vice
gubernatorial candidates on Tuesday.

"My source says that there is no reason not to approve all the
candidates," Posman told journalists on Monday.

The seven tickets are: Sutiyoso-Fauzi Bowo, Tarmdi Suhardjo-
Abdillah Toha, Edy Waluyo-Ahmad Suaidy, Marzuki Usman- Abdul
Halim Asyhari, Mahfud Djaelani-Doli Diapary, Ahmad Heryawan-Igo
Ilham, and Endang Darmawan-Dadang Hamdani.