Golkar rejects choice of colonel as council chief

JAKARTA (JP): The future chairmanship of the Irian Jaya provincial legislative council was plunged into uncertainty yesterday when Golkar rejected the chosen candidate.

The installation ceremony of Col. Robert Sitorus, from the armed forces faction, was postponed indefinitely yesterday after it was boycotted by Golkar legislators.

Members of the Armed Forces do not vote in general elections but a certain number of seats in the regency, provincial and national legislative bodies are reserved for them.

Golkar faction chief in the Irian Jaya legislative council, Dortheis Asmuruf, claimed that the order to boycott the ceremony came from the party's central executive board in Jakarta.

Asmuruf said the legislative body chairmanship should have gone to Golkar because it was the political organization which won the election, Antara reported.

The Armed Forces has won the legislative chairmanship race in many provinces throughout Indonesia for the 1997-2002 term.

The Irian Golkar chapter was the first to have openly rejected the prospective chairman. Sitorus beat Golkar's strongest candidate, Bima, last Friday.

Golkar had only managed to place two of its councilors as deputy chiefs. They were Abraham Kuruwaib an TN Kaiway.

Asmuruf said the Golkar faction had done everything to ensure Bima was at the council's helm but to no avail.

The minority United Development Party (PPP) and Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) did not field their candidates because their number of representatives in the council was too small.

Golkar's central executive board in Jakarta has ordered its politicians in the provinces to do their best to clinch legislative chairmanships.

When asked whether Golkar wanted to hold another election for the position, Asmuruf said he was awaiting for further orders from Jakarta.

The order to cancel the swearing-in ceremony came from Irian Jaya Governor Jacob Pattipi. A letter outlining the decision was put on the legislative council's announcement board.

PPP and PDI councilors regretted the cancellation, saying that councilors represent the voters not the executive board of their respective political organizations.

Meanwhile, Col. Sitorus left after reading the announcement that his inauguration had been canceled. He was unavailable for comment.

Provincial council chief Habel Agaki Wanda said that he awaited further notice from governor Pattipi on how the debacle should be handled. (pan)