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.