Makassar councillors installed after two days of delay
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nominations were withdrawn in the ceremony.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.