Election rerun planned for Lampung governor

Election rerun planned for Lampung governor

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno has indicated that
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is likely to annul the result of
the Dec. 30, 2002, Lampung gubernatorial election and ask the
provincial legislature to hold another election.

Speaking to reporters after the inauguration of Central Java
Governor Mardiyanto for another five-year term in Semarang on
Saturday, the minister said Alziers Dianis Thabranie, who won the
Lampung election, was allegedly involved in several cases that
called into question his ability to lead the province.

"If he committed one or two errors ... we would likely pardon
him. But he has allegedly done this many times and it has become
a habit," he said.

The minister declined to discuss in detail the allegations
against Alziers.

Hari did say the Lampung provincial legislative council had
studied the matter and was preparing to hold another
gubernatorial election.

"According to the provincial legislature, the election process
will start from the first phase of gubernatorial candidates being
nominated," he said.

Alziers, who is in the custody of the prosecutor's office in
Bandar Lampung, has been undergoing medical treatment for
pancreatic cancer at a hospital in Bandar Lampung, after several
weeks in detention at the National Police Headquarters in
Jakarta.

The suspect will be brought to trial once he is declared
physically able.

Dr. Saragih, who is treating Alziers at the Bumi Waras
Hospital in Bandar Lampung, told Kompas daily on Friday there was
no special action being taken to treat the patient.

"There is no special action. We are doing the same treatment
as his doctors at the Kramatjati Hospital in Jakarta," he said.

Jauhari Zaelani, a political analyst at Lampung University,
called on the President to make an immediate decision on Alziers
to avoid any confusion in Lampung.

"The President, who has the last say on the results of the
gubernatorial election, should decide whether Alziers will be
sworn in or not. If his victory is annulled, the President should
ask the provincial legislative council to rehold the
gubernatorial election. The central government should not let the
leadership of the provincial administration remain vacant for a
long time," he said.

Harun Al Rasyid, a constitutional law expert in Jakarta, said
recently that the Lampung provincial council could sue the
central government for overstepping its authority and causing a
eight-month delay in the inauguration of Alziers.

He said said the government violated autonomy law No. 22/1999,
which grants regions the right to elect their own governors.

"The government must play by the rules, and it did not," Harun
said.