Maluku council prepares for gubernatorial election

Maluku council prepares for gubernatorial election

Aziz Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon, Maluku

The Maluku legislative council plans to kick start the
long-delayed gubernatorial election, which the council hopes will
result in the lifting of the state of civil emergency the
province has been under for almost three years.

Maluku Council speaker Zeith Sahuburua said he expected the
election to be held during the council's second session, which
will run for three months starting in April.

"We will use these three months as effectively as possible and
in addition to our scheduled agenda, councillors will also pay
attention to the election of a governor," he told The Jakarta
Post.

The post is currently held by Sinyo Sarundayang, a caretaker
governor who is also the director general of national integration
under the home minister. Sinyo replaced former Maluku governor
Saleh Latuconsina, whose term expired last November.

Zeith said he planned to meet with Sinyo to discus the
possible election of a new governor before making a proposal to
Jakarta.

"Shortly, once we have passed the provincial budget, we will
meet with the Maluku caretaker governor and then go to Jakarta to
meet with the home affairs minister and the coordinating minister
for security and political affairs," Zeith said.

He said that during these future meetings councillors would
brief the two ministers on Maluku's improved security situation.

The provinces of Maluku and North Maluku have seen almost
three years of clashes between Muslims and Christians. The
violence broke out in the Maluku capital of Ambon in January
1999, from where it spread to the northern part of the province,
which later became the separate province of North Maluku.

Thousands have died during the violence and former president
Abdurrahman Wahid imposed a state of civil emergency in Maluku in
June 2000.

Since a peace agreement was signed last year, life in Maluku
and North Maluku has gradually returned to normal, though there
are still sporadic outbursts of violence.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said last month that a
presidential decree was being prepared to lift the state of civil
emergency in North Maluku.

Jakarta, however, said the state of civil emergency was still
needed in Maluku, citing the absence of a permanent governor and
the widespread possession of illegal weapons, particularly in
Ambon and the surrounding areas.

The minister suspended a gubernatorial election in Maluku in
July 2002 over perceived security threats.

Council speaker Zeith said he was hopeful the minister would
agree to allow the election to go forward now.