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