Election of C. Kalimantan governor valid: Surjadi
Election of C. Kalimantan governor valid: Surjadi
JAKARTA (JP): Home Affairs Minister Surjadi Soedirja asserted on Friday that the recent election of Asmawi Gani as Central Kalimantan governor was valid according to the ruling issued by the provincial legislative council.
"No ruling was breached during the election," he said after a Friday prayer here.
Surjadi was responding to protests over the gubernatorial election and the occupation of the Central Kalimantan provincial legislative council building by students.
An alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), party activists and student groups called on the government on Thursday to annul Asmawi's election because it was against the ministerial decree on governor elections issued on Jan. 19, 2000, which takes effect nationwide.
Singkang W. Kusuma, spokesman for the NGO alliance, charged that all gubernatorial candidates, mostly members of the provincial legislative council, did not resign from the council when they were running for election. To make things worse, most of them failed to gain votes in the election held on Jan. 20.
The ministerial decree requires that all candidates resign from their jobs in the bureaucracy, legislative council, or other state institutions before the election.
"The election process is against the ministerial decree," said Singkang.
During the election held at the provincial legislative council, Golkar Party candidates Asmawi and Nahason Taway won the most votes for the governor and deputy governor posts respectively.
Surjadi said Friday that the governor election in Central Kalimantan was an exception to the decree because it was issued while the election was under way.
"The governor election is held based on the old ruling approved by the provincial legislative council," he said.
But he failed to answer whether the decree specifically stipulated the exemption granted to Central Kalimantan.
Asked about the allegation of money politics during the election, Surjadi said he had sent a team to investigate the allegation.
"The team is still working to investigate the alleged money politics. The allegation may have been aired by certain groups who wish to have the election results annulled. However, if the allegation is found true, the government will certainly revoke the election outcome and call for a repeat election," he said.
Asmawi's scheduled swearing-in ceremony on Friday was delayed because President Abdurrahman Wahid has yet to issue a decree to officiate the elected governor. Surjadi said the presidential decree would be announced after all problems linked to the election were solved.
Hundreds of protesters continued their sit-in at the provincial legislature in Palangkaraya for the fourth consecutive day on Friday. A number of posters criticizing the legislators and the elected governor and deputy governor were seen on the building exterior, Antara reported. (rms)