North Maluku legislative council annuls Gafur's election
North Maluku legislative council annuls Gafur's election
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The North Maluku Provincial Council annulled the election of
Abdul Gafur as governor of the province for his alleged
employment of money politics to help him win the gubernatorial
race.
Rustam Honoras, speaker of the legislative council, said the
decision was taken by the legislative council at its plenary
session on Sept. 28, 2001, in the absence of the Golkar faction's
members.
"With the annulment of Gafur's election, the legislative
council will hold a new gubernatorial election before the end of
this year," he said after briefing President Megawati
Soekarnoputri at the State Palace on Wednesday.
Rustam, along with six other councillors, reported to the
President on the legislative council's plan to hold a
gubernatorial election by the end of this year.
Gafur, who is a Golkar figure and served as a minister of
sport and youth affairs during former president Soeharto's
tenure, was elected by the legislative council on July 25, 2001,
to replace acting governor Abdul Muhyi Effendie. Gafur's
inauguration was canceled because of the money politics
controversy.
Rustam said the legislative council had sufficient evidence of
the payment of bribes from the two witnesses.
"The two councillors have provided documents to the
legislative council which are acceptable as legal evidence. One
admitted to having received a large sum of money while the other
testified that Gafur's election team promised him some money,"
Rustam said.
He said that the two witnesses, who are facing possible
disqualification from the legislative council, were Muhammad
Sahafin of the Golkar Party and Muksin Sudara of the United
Development Party (PPP). He said Sahafin has accepted Rp 66
million (US$6,600) while Sudara had still not received the money
by the time he admitted the attempted bribery.
Rustam asserted that despite the Golkar faction's absence, the
legislative council's decision on the annulment was valid since
the number of councillors attending the plenary session met the
quorum as required under the council's standing orders.
He conceded that the public submitted their objections to
Gafur's election long after the election, but the council's
decision was still valid as the bribery and attempted bribery
occurred days before the gubernatorial election.
According to Provincial Bylaw No. 151/2000, the public may
submit objections to the election of a governor for up to three
days after the election.
The team, which was set up by the central government to
investigate the case, found indications of money politics and
bribery in Gafur's election.
According to provincial regulations, Gafur is now prohibited
from participating in next year's gubernatorial election.
It is not clear, however, whether Gafur will face prosecution
over the case.