Local legislators support Fadel

After two months of uncertainty, nine legislators from Gorontalo in northern Sulawesi have called on President Megawati Soekarnoputri to swear in governor-elect Fadel Muhammad.

They submitted their demand to House Speaker Akbar Tandjung at the House of Representatives here on Monday.

Gorontalo Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) Speaker Amir Piola Isa said the governor-elect should be inaugurated soon, otherwise local people would become angry at the ongoing delay.

Amir argued that Fadel, a Gorontalo native, had been democratically elected on Sept. 12. He won 26 of the total 45 votes.

"How can a democratic process be overruled by administrative requirements?" he asked during a meeting with Akbar.

Fadel was nominated governor after the Supreme Court on Sept. 3 gave the green light to his candidacy. The court's approval was needed because Fadel had earlier been declared bankrupt due to his inability to repay Rp 33.5 billion in debts to the Bank IFI.

Like Akbar, Fadel is a top executive of the Golkar Party. He is the owner of the Bukaka business group.

According to local laws, a candidate will only lose his/her legal rights if they have been found guilty in a court of law. --JP