Minister considers ordering revote
Minister considers ordering revote
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandar Lampung, Lampung
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno has hinted at proposing a
revote for the new governor of Lampung, in what is being dubbed a
political plot to bar a dissentious member of President Megawati
Soekarnoputri's party from assuming the top post in the province.
"The chance for a revote is open," Hari said on Wednesday in
the provincial capital of Bandarlampung after introducing his
aide, Tursandi Alwi, as the acting governor to local senior
officials.
The appointment of Tursandi followed the central government's
decision to suspend the swearing in of the newly elected head of
the Lampung administration, Alzier Dianis Thabrani.
Alzier, who chairs the Lampung chapter of Megawati's
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
defeated last December the incumbent governor, Oemarsono, whose
renomination was sanctioned by Megawati.
Barring Alzier from taking over the gubernatorial post are
corruption charges the police have brought up against him.
Hari said a revote to elect the new head of the Lampung
administration should be decided upon after the police process
the graft cases involving the elected governor.
The minister denied widespread allegations that Megawati's
government intervened to suspend the inauguration of Alzier and
his elected deputy, Ansory Yunus.
Hari said the suspension came after he received a report from
the Lampung police on the alleged involvement of Alzier in the
corruption cases, including the embezzlement of Rp 10 billion in
funds from state-owned fertilizer company PT Pusri and an illegal
automotive business.
The minister defended as "normal" the National Police
headquarters' decision to name Alzier as a suspect in the cases,
arguing that not only did the Lampung police file charges against
him, but so did the police of other provinces, including Jakarta.
Alzier was scheduled to be sworn in as the new Lampung
governor on Jan. 25, one day before his predecessor, Oemarsono,
ended his five-year term in office.
The Lampung legislative council voted on Dec. 30 for Alzier as
governor for the 2003-2008 term.
Apparently unhappy with the outcome of the ballots, Megawati
postponed the issuance of a presidential decree to approve
Alzier's appointment.
The lack of endorsement by Megawati has delayed the
inauguration of the newly elected governor indefinitely.
The President only issued a decree recommending Oemarsono to
leave his post and another decree authorizing Minister Hari to
appoint an acting governor in charge of administrative control in
Lampung.
Branding Alzier a dissentious member of the Megawati-led PDI
Perjuangan over his win in the gubernatorial race, the President
suspended him as chairman of the party's Lampung branch, and also
suspended four of his senior colleagues.
Alzier's lawyer, Eddy Rifai, slammed what he called a
"political intervention" by the central government in an attempt
to cancel the gubernatorial appointment of his client.
Eddy said there were no legal reasons to suspend the swearing-
in of Alzier, because the election had complied with prevailing
laws and procedures at the legislative council.
The council stood behind its decision to vote for Alzier and
wrote to the central government on Jan. 29, demanding that the
governor-elect be installed soon.
It argued that the letter of good conduct, submitted by the
Lampung police on behalf of Alzier before his election, asserted
that he was legally clean and had never been jailed.
Meanwhile, Hari said that Tursandi, the current head of
research and development at the minister's office, must
"coordinate" with the minister in carrying out his job as acting
governor.