New W. Java governor faces opposition
Nana Rukmana and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon/Bandung
Despite his convincing victory, West Java governor-elect Danny Setiawan is facing a vote of no-confidence from councillors and activists, who have questioned his eligibility due to his link to past corruption cases.
Leading the move against his election on Friday were the association of regental legislative speakers of West Java's north coast and a coalition of non-governmental organizations called the West Java Anti-Corruption Alliance (AAJB).
They have asked the government to probe a past corruption case that allegedly implicates Denny and the possibility of money politics during the election on Thursday.
"It's hard to accept with an open heart that Danny Setiawan and (deputy governor-elect) Nu'man Abdul Hakim won the race. They have been elected through a mechanism that is undemocratic and is full of KKN," said Iwan Hendrawan, who chairs the legislative speakers' association of Cirebon and surrounding areas. He was referring to corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN).
The association was established to criticize policies from executives at the regental, municipal and provincial levels.
Iwan, who is also the speaker of the Indramayu legislature, said that members of the West Java provincial legislature commonly practiced KKN. He recalled the Rp 25 billion (US$2.7 million) incentives last year and the misuse of humanitarian aid for victims of the Mount Papandayan eruption earlier this year, both of which had involved the West Java councillors.
"It is very unlikely that KKN practice was absent during the gubernatorial election," he said.
He also said Danny was involved in the disbursement of questionable financial incentives given to West Java councillors in his capacity as the provincial secretary.
AAJB spokesman Harlans M. Frachra concurred, saying that the incentives scandal was now being investigated by the provincial prosecutors' office.
Kurdi Moekri of the United Development Party (PPP) and Suyaman of the Golkar Party, who are deputy speakers of the legislature, and former councillor Suparno have been named as suspects in the case.
"Danny was the provincial secretary who signed the disbursement of the incentives, which were demanded by the councillors. He actually had the authority to reject the demand," Harlans told reporters.
Danny and Nu'man, from Golkar and PPP respectively, won 49 votes in the election, beating Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) candidate Maj. Gen. (ret) Tayo Tarmadi who matched Rudy Harsa Tanaya by 10 votes.
PDI Perjuangan, the largest faction with 30 seats, lost the gubernatorial post despite support the from National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, which has 12 seats.
Sources said three PDI Perjuangan councillors voted for other party's candidates, while all 11 members of the military and police faction abstained.
But West Java PDI Perjuangan secretary Uha Maulana Yusuf denied the report, saying that all the 30 members of the faction voted for their candidate. He claimed several PKB members had voted for other candidates.
Separately, reliable sources said that PDI Perjuangan and PKB would pressure the chief of the provincial prosecutor's office to declare Danny a suspect in the financial incentives scandal.