Makassar councillors installed after two days of delay

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

The new Makassar municipal legislative council was eventually inaugurated on Wednesday after two days of delay due to protests over a dispute between local election officials and the South Sulawesi administration.

Only 41 of the 45 elected Makassar councillors were sworn in after the nominations of the other four were annulled by their parties.

The swearing-in ceremony was held under tight guard by more than 1,000 police officers to prevent possible clashes between rival demonstrators.

However, the inauguration proceeded smoothly despite a protest rally by the AMPG youth group, which is affiliated to the Golkar Party. There was no a rival demonstration, however.

The inauguration of the councillors, which should have taken place on Monday, was postponed following a dispute between the Makassar elections commission and the provincial administration over the decisions to include the four councillors whose nominations were withdrawn in the ceremony.

The city's election's commission recommended to the provincial elections commission that all 45 new members of the Makassar council be installed.

But the South Sulawesi elections commission proposed that Governor Amin Syam approve the inauguration of only 44 councillors after Iskandar Tompo was dismissed by the National Mandate Party (PAN).

The commission also recommended that the governor reconsider the Makassar poll commission's proposal to include three other legislative candidates in the inauguration.

The three were Yusuf Gunco, Pasambangi and Patarai, who were proposed by Golkar's Makassar branch to replace its three elected candidates -- Rahmawajid, Nurmadiah and Rahim Yusuf, whose were also dismissed by their party for defying its instruction during last year's election of the city's mayor.

Responding to the controversy, the governor, who also chairs the provincial chapter of Golkar, delayed endorsing the inauguration of all the elected councillors. But after coming under pressure, he approved the swearing-in of 41 of the newly elected councillors.

The governor's decision sparked days of rival protests by supporters of Rahmawajid and the AMPG.

Rahmawajid's supporters agreed with the governor's decision, while the AMPG insisted that Yusuf, Pasambangi and Patarai be included on the list of the councillors to be installed.

A minor clash erupted when the two rival groups staged protest rallies on Monday. No injuries were reported.