Govt rejects council election

BITUNG, North Sulawesi: The Ministry for Home Affairs has declared that the election of Bitung council leaders a month ago was invalid and therefore has to be redone.

The election was invalidated as it violated a government decree that regulates the election of regional council leaders, according to a letter signed by Progo Nurjaman, the director general of Regional Autonomy at the ministry.

The decree rules, among other things, that the election of council leaders was not permitted to use a "package system", in which council speakers and deputies were chosen and elected in one package. However, the Bitung election defied this ruling and used the package system, according to the letter received by Bitung officials on Wednesday.

The election was held a month ago and Christon Kansil was elected speaker of the council. -- JP