New W. Java governor faces opposition

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.