Maluku youths protest governor

Maluku youths protest governor

JAKARTA: Twelve youth organizations in Maluku have called on
Home Affairs Minister Moch. Yogie S. to reprimand Maluku Governor
M. Akib Latuconsina for "disrespecting" them.

Led by the local branch of the Indonesian Youth Committee
(KNPI), the youth groups filed a petition with the ministry here
yesterday.

In the statement signed by the KNPI's Maluku branch chairman
Abdullah Tausikal and his secretary-general Richard Ufie, the
youths said objected to governor Latuconsina's leadership style
as it "fails to develop local youth organizations."

"His leadership does not allow Maluku and its the younger
generation to develop," the statement said, as reported by
Antara. We want the ministry to set up a team to assess the
governor's abilities."

Abdullah said the conflict between the governor and the youths
began in 1994, when Latuconsina overturned the results of a KNPI
election, insisting that his son-in-law Oemar Tahir lead the
organization.

Since then the governor has denied the KNPI the facilities it
needs, he added. (pan)