Govt to suspend election of 93 regional heads

Govt to suspend election of 93 regional heads

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

he government plans to issue a regulation to suspend the
elections of 93 regional administration heads whose tenure will
end between March 2004 and November 2004 to ensure security and
political stability during the national elections, which include
the first-ever direct presidential election, says a minister.

Home Minister Hari Sabarno said the regional administration
chiefs's term of office would be extended for a few months but
they would be acting as caretakers.

"We need to ensure security and stability during the 2004
elections, that's why we need to suspend the election of new
officials to replace those whose term of office ends during that
period of time," Hari said after a meeting with President
Megawati Soekarnoputri at the State Palace here on Wednesday.

The government's decision apparently was a response to concern
about political instability in certain regions where
gubernatorial and regent elections were held recently.

The political situation could turn unstable and violent if the
gubernatorial, regency and mayoral elections are held during the
national elections.

Elections have already caused problems in Lampung, West Java,
Central Java, East Java, West and East Nusa Tenggara and Bali
this year. The move also is apparently due to the President's
wish to maintain incumbent officials in order to maintain
political stability ahead of the general election.

The political situation in Lampung has remained unstable
following the President's decision to suspend the installment of
governor-elect Alzier Dianis Tabranie who is still undergoing
police interrogation in several corruption cases. Alzier's
supporters, mostly from the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) of which Megawati is the chief, have
expressed criticism of the President for supporting former
governor Oemarsono to extend his tenure for another five years.

In entering the transition era following the collapse of
former president Soeharto's authoritarian and corrupt New Order
regime in May, 1998, Indonesia has had three power successions
which were highlighted by political turmoil.

The government is scheduled to hold the legislative elections
on April 5, 2004 and plans to hold the direct presidential
election in August and October (if a second round is needed).

"According to our calculations, one month before the
legislative elections and one month after the presidential
election will be a (good) period for an election moratorium to
create a safer situation for the national elections," the
minister said.

Hari added that the regional administration heads that would
be affected by the regulation consisted of Bengkulu's incumbent
governor, 78 regents and 14 mayors. He said the election of their
successors would be conducted after a new president was sworn in
on Oct. 20, 2004.

He said the regulation would be issued immediately in the form
of a presidential decree or a government regulation but it would
take effect in 2004.

The government will discuss the matter with the House of
Representatives before the regulation would be issued, he added.

With the new ruling, the government also decided to suspend
the election of regents in 36 newly-developed regencies across
the country.

Despite the regional autonomy law that stipulates that the
election of regional administration heads and their five-year
terms of office, the President in her capacity as government head
has the authority to appoint or suspend them.

The minister admitted that the country's fragile stability has
been the main reason behind the planned issuance of the
regulation.

"We all know that the coming elections could be a very
sensitive time for the whole country and we cannot afford to let
other political events disturb security, so we need political
stability," he remarked.

Hari said that several regions had proposed that they conduct
in advance regent and mayor elections but the central government
decided to suspend them until after the legislative and
presidential elections

"Regional administration chiefs should be responsible for
their five-year tenure, and no less than that period. It will be
better to extend their tenure, instead of shortening it," said
the minister.