Minister takes over Lampung govt

Minister takes over Lampung govt

JAKARTA: Home minister Hari Sabarno has temporarily taken
control of public administration in Lampung province following
the arrest of governor-elect Alzier Dianis Thabranie on criminal
charges.

The ministry's director general for regional autonomy,
Oentarto Sindung Mawardi, made a statement to that effect here on
Tuesday while explaining the government's stance over Thabranie's
arrest.

According to Oentarto, the appointment of the minister to
temporarily take charge of the Lampung administration was
contained in a presidential decree.

He disclosed that the minister in turn had assigned the
ministry's head of research and development, Tuswandi, as acting
governor to deal with the day-to-day running of the province.

The director general pointed out that Sabarno also expected
the acting governor, in cooperation with Lampung's provincial
legislative assembly, to furnish the public with accurate
information regarding the Alzier affair.

The minister, Oentarto said, had also asked the provincial
legislative assembly to evaluate the mechanisms for gubernatorial
elections and to improve them so that a candidate facing
prosecution would not be elected in the future.

"This issue will be referred back to the provincial
legislative assembly so that its members can ensure the election
of a governor who is free of legal problems," he said.
According to Oentarto, his ministry had actually warned the
provincial legislative assembly that Alzier was facing legal
problems, but the legislators had decided to ignore the warning.

"When the issue had become a legal case, the provincial
legislators referred it to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The
ministry, however, can do nothing to interfere with the legal
process," Oentarto pointed out.