Lampung hit by leadership crisis

Lampung hit by leadership crisis

JAKARTA: A number of senior members of the Lampung provincial
legislative council met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
on Thursday to seek ways to resolve a leadership crisis in the
province.

"The president will settle the Lampung problems both legally
and politically. He asks Lampung residents to remain calm,"
speaker of the council Indra Karyadi told reporters at the
president's office following the meeting. He did not elaborate.

Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf, who accompanied the
president, said that the president would summon incumbent Lampung
Governor Sjahroedin ZP on Friday to discuss the issue.

The leadership crisis in the province started in 2003 after
the home minister at the time annulled the victory of Golkar
Party candidate Alzier Daanis Thabranie in the gubernatorial
election, and instead appointed Sjahroedin. The Supreme Court,
later, ruled that the annulment was illegal.

According to Indra, the legislative council no longer has
confidence in the leadership of Sjahroedin, and that the council
would let the central government resolve the problem. -- JP