Govt approves sultan's candidacy

Govt approves sultan's candidacy

JAKARTA (JP): The government has caved in to overwhelming
public sentiment and agreed that Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X will
be the lone candidate for Yogyakarta's special region
governorship.

"This decision is based on the people's wish, though actually
there must be five candidates for such an election," Minister of
Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said Tuesday after meeting with
President B.J. Habibie at Bina Graha presidential office.

The Yogyakarta provincial legislative council last month
unanimously elected its traditional monarch, Sri Sultan, as the
only candidate for governor to replace acting governor Paku Alam
VIII. Paku Alam, from the royal house of Paku Alaman, succeeded
the sultan's father, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, who died in
1988.

Through Syarwan, the government had insisted the province
propose five gubernatorial candidates, from which he would
shortlist three.

In accordance with Law No. 5/1974, the legislative council
would elect the governor from among the final three.

Yogyakarta's council had contradicted Syarwan's statement,
arguing that the election should be based on Law No. 8/1950 which
granted special status to Yogyakarta because of the ancient
city's role in the country's history of independence.

Based on the earlier law, the governor should be chosen from
either of the two royal houses -- the Yogyakarta Keraton or the
Pura Paku Alaman.

Sri Sultan disclosed recently that President B.J. Habibie
himself had promised that the election would be based on the 1950
law instead of the 1974 decree.

In an expression of defiance against the government, about
100,000 local people gathered at the provincial legislature last
week to induct Sri Sultan as their governor.

Syarwan did not say when the council would formally endorse
Sri Sultan as the sole candidate.

"They just need to hold a plenary session for the
endorsement," he said. (prb)