Maj. Gen Sutiyoso wins Jakarta gubernatorial election

Maj. Gen Sutiyoso wins Jakarta gubernatorial election

JAKARTA (JP): In an unsurprising move, more than 80 percent of
city councilors voted for Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen.
Sutiyoso to become the next governor of Jakarta.

The final tally revealed that 62 of the 75 councilors chose
Sutiyoso while the remaining 13 members voted for the other two
candidates.

Legislator Achmadi received eight nominations and Tb.M. Rais,
the city's Deputy Governor of Economic and Development Affairs,
racked up five votes.

The three-hour election at the City Council, led by Council
Speaker Edy Waluyo and three deputy speakers, was witnessed by
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja and Director General of Administration
and Provincial Autonomy from the Ministry of Home Affairs Oman
Sachroni.

Loud applause greeted the first voter, councilor Achmad Suaidy
of the United Development Party (PPP), as he checked the ballot
paper carefully before entering a closed room to lodge his vote.

Chairmen of the council's four factions -- PPP, Golkar, the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and the Armed Forces (ABRI) --
were on hand to see the first paper inserted into the ballot box.

A round of applause followed the end of counting, with votes
for 52-year-old Sutiyoso exceeding those of the other two
candidates.

Oman Sachroni checked the results before officially declaring
the vote legal.

The results of the vote will be submitted to Minister of Home
Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. before being presented to President
Soeharto for final approval.

The three nominees had earlier received Soeharto's approval to
participate in the election.

In his speech, Surjadi Soedirdja, who was also a former
Jakarta military commander, said: "I'm optimistic that only a
leader who meets the requirements has been elected because I know
there are many people in Jakarta who are willing to do their best
for the city," he said.

Surjadi has been rumored as a strong candidate for minister in
the next cabinet.

If all goes as planned, Sutiyoso will be installed as
Jakarta's eighth governor on Oct. 6.

Born in Semarang, Central Java, on Dec. 6, 1944, Sutiyoso
married Setyo Rini in 1974. They have two daughters, Yessi Riana
Dilliyanti, 22, and Renny Yofnita Arianto, 17.

Sutiyoso was installed as the 13th Jakarta Military Commander
on March 3, 1996.

He spent several years of his career as a senior officer at
the elite Kopassus special forces command and the Strategic Army
Reserves Command, Kostrad.

Sutiyoso has also taken part in a series of military
operations, including those in Kalimantan, East Timor and Aceh.

Beside local military education, Sutiyoso graduated from the
Joint Service Staff College in Canberra, Australia, in 1990 and
did job training at the Brigade V Airborne in Arnhem, England, in
1987 and the 82nd Airborne division at Fort Bragg in the United
States in 1991. (ste)

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