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.