Edy unveils plan to join governor's election race

Edy unveils plan to join governor's election race

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction of the City Council
has stated that it will not nominate any gubernatorial candidate.
But Maj. Gen. Edy Waluyo, a faction member who is also chairman
of the council, announced on Friday his readiness to join the
gubernatorial race.

"I will register myself sometime next week," said Edy, whose
faction has nine seats in the council.

When asked by reporters why he wanted to join the
gubernatorial race, he simply said that it was his right to do
so.

Edy has reportedly received approval from Jakarta Military
Commander Maj. Bibit Waluyo to run in the election, which will be
held on Sept. 17.

According to the election regulation, a military/police
officer or a civil servant who wants to become a governor should
seek approval from their superior.

Edy, who was born in Klaten, Central Java, in 1945, was a
district military commander in West Java. His last position
before being posted in the city council was deputy head of the
human resources development at military headquarters.

Edy said on Friday that gubernatorial candidates should not
deploy supporters to the council.

"Most of the supporters were not "pure" when voting. A
candidate who has a lot of money could pay supporters or set up
organizations to support him," he said.

It seemed he was referring to the hundreds of people who
flocked to the council to express their support for Governor
Sutiyoso earlier in the day.

Hundreds of people from two organizations, the Red-and-White
Front (BMP) and the Jakarta Society Alliance (AMJ) visited the
council to show their support for Sutiyoso's reelection.

At least nine organizations have declared their support for
Sutiyoso since registration began on Monday.

However Sutiyoso, who earlier received "the green light" from
President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz,
said on Friday he would decide whether to run for the election or
not next week.

"I'm still waiting for more support from the public. If I get
more support, I will run for the election," he told reporters.

Sutiyoso, a former Jakarta Military Commander, said that other
candidates should not be discouraged by the fact he was supported
by Megawati who is also chairwoman of the largest Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Hamzah who is
also chairman of the United Development Party (PPP).

Sutiyoso's candidacy is controversial because he was earlier
named a suspect in a bloody attack on Megawati's party
headquarters in Central Jakarta on July 27, 1996.

Besides Edy and (ret) Lt. Gen.Sutiyoso, TNI spokesman Lt. Gen.
Sjafrie Sjamsoedin, who held the post of Jakarta Military
Commander after Sutiyoso, was also reportedly nominated by TNI
Headquarters for City Governor.

Deputy Governor for Social Welfare Affairs Maj. Gen (ret)
Djaelani, who is a retired army major general and doctor, will
also be competing at the election.