D. Dunidja to be named West Sumatra caretaker

D. Dunidja to be named West Sumatra caretaker

BANDUNG (JP): Ministry of Home Affairs Director General of
Sociopolitical Affairs D. Dunidja will be appointed on Monday as
caretaker of the West Sumatra administration, a ministry official
said on Saturday.

Ministry spokesman Herman Ibrahim said here that Dunidja
would, among other responsibilities, oversee elections for a new
governor to replace Muchlis Ibrahim who resigned on Tuesday.

President B.J. Habibie accepted Muchlis' resignation on
Wednesday.

"If residents reject the appointment of a caretaker, then this
is the right time to express it. One of the clauses of
(Dunidja's) appointment says the caretaker will be barred from
running for the gubernatorial job," Herman said.

As a rule, the caretaker is the director general of
administration and provincial autonomy. However the incumbent,
Ryaas Rasid, said he was too busy monitoring preparations for the
June polls and deliberating bills on regional autonomy and fiscal
balance.

Muchlis announced his resignation after less than one year in
office, in protest over the government's choice of Zainal Bakar
as deputy governor. Muchlis said he had never recommended the
selection of Zainal, favoring candidate Nurmawan.

Rules for the appointment of deputy governors cite that the
candidate is put forward by the provincial council and
recommended to the governor before approval from central
government is acquired.

Muchlis replaced Hasan Basri Durin who was elected State
Minister of Land Affairs in Habibie's reform Cabinet.

Herman denied Zainal's appointment bypassed Muchlis'
prerogative to recommend his favored candidates to Jakarta.

"The government rejected Muchlis' nomination of Nurmawan,
following a protest by the local legislature who claimed the
governor unilaterally made the decision," Herman said.

According to Herman, Muchlis put forward Zainal and Ali Amran,
in addition to Nurmawan, to Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan
Hamid, who later selected Zainal after consulting local
representatives.

"That's how the procedure must work," Herman said, adding that
it was a ministerial prerogative to make the final choice in the
matter.

Herman said Muchlis' claim that he would have been unable to
cooperate with Zainal was groundless.

"Zainal has ample experience as a regent and provincial
secretary to his credit. Muchlis rejected Zainal apparently
because of a personal dislike." (byg/43)