Lampung revote faces mounting opposition

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung

The Lampung legislative council is facing increasing pressure to cancel its plans for a gubernatorial revote, while three major factions withdrew their members from the election committee in protest.

The Golkar Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) said they had withdrawn their councillors in opposition of the planned revote for a new Lampung governor scheduled for May 15.

The two factions also withdrew its councillors from the revote consultative committee.

Other factions in the council, including the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), are also opposed to the planned revote.

Numerous student and community groups, as well as non- governmental organizations, have staged demonstrations against a repeat election.

Golkar faction chairman I Made Bagiase said the withdrawal of its three members from the two committees was ordered by the party's central board, led by Akbar Tandjung.

"We are not involved in the gubernatorial election and will not be responsible for its outcome," Bagiase said on Wednesday in the provincial capital of Bandarlampung.

Likewise, PKB faction chairman Muhamad Habib said the party had been instructed by its cofounder and presidential candidate Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid not to participate in the revote.

The PKB adopted the stance in objection to the revote being held by councillors of the 1999-2004 term, Habib said.

It had also canceled the nomination of member Ismet Romas as running mate to an as-yet unnamed gubernatorial candidate, he said.

The PKB and other factions suggested that the revote be held by the new Lampung Council elected in the April 5 general election.

However, Golkar -- the second largest faction after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) -- has said it would not ban members from contesting the repeat gubernatorial election.

"It's their political right as a citizen to contest the election. Please go ahead. I will support them personally," Bagiase said.

He added that Golkar and other factions opposed to the revote would refuse to cooperate with and prepare impeachment plans for the governor-elect.

Responding to the protests, Lampung Council speaker Nurhasanah said the planned revote would go ahead.

"The planned gubernatorial repeat election will proceed, although some factions have withdrawn their members from the election committee," she said.

Based on existing regulations, the election committee need not involve all factions in the council, argued Nurhasanah of the PDI-P, which came second after Golkar in the April 5 legislative election.

The PDI-P faction, the largest in the council, has insisted on a successful revote on May 15 in the hope that PDI-P's gubernatorial candidate, Sachiruddin Zuber, and his running mate Syamsurya Ryacudu would be elected.

The repeat election seeks to replace Alzier Zianis Thabranie, whose victory in the December 2002 election was annulled by Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno earlier this year after police brought graft charges against him.

Alzier defeated then incumbent governor Oemarsono, who was backed by PDI-P's President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

However, Oemarsono is trying to make a comeback by contesting the May revote along with some 20 hopefuls, including noted lawyer Henry Yosodiningrat and Sachiruddin, as well as a pedicab driver.