North Sumatra holds gubernatorial election today

North Sumatra holds gubernatorial election today

Apriadi Gunawan
The Jakarta Post
Medan, North Sumatra

Three gubernatorial candidates and their running mates have
committed themselves to not mobilizing their supporters, to avoid
influencing the gubernatorial election scheduled for Monday.

They expressed the commitment before Chairman of the
gubernatorial election committee Ahmad Azhari, North Sumatra
Police chief Insp. Gen. Edy Sunarno and other local military and
police officials in an informal meeting here on Saturday.

The three gubernatorial candidates who have gained approval
from Home Minister Hari Sabarno were incumbent governor T. Rizal
Nurdin, Chaeruman Harahap and Amrun Daulay.

Rizal and his running mate Rudolf Pardede were nominated by
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
major faction at the provincial legislative council. Chaeruman,
also chief of the government prosecutor's office in the city, and
his running mate, Serta Ginting, were promoted by the Golkar
Party, the second major faction at the provincial legislature.
Amrun, a government official at the social affairs ministry, and
his running mate, Baskami Ginting, were supported by the National
Mandate Party (PAN).

During the meeting, the three pairs were given the opportunity
to present their manifestos for the gubernatorial election and
they expressed their commitment to participate in the election
fairly, democratically and peacefully.

"The gubernatorial election must proceed peacefully and
democratically; we are committed not to mobilizing our own
supporters, to avoid a chaotic situation during the election. All
pairs of candidates will attend the election," said governor
Rizal.

Chairman of the local PAN chapter Azwir Sofyan said he had
also ordered party members and supporters not to stage any action
and not to use party attributes during their attendance in the
election.

Edy appreciated the three pairs' pledge of not deploying their
own supporters, saying it would help the police maintain security
and order during the election.

"We shall do everything to maintain security and order during
the election and the police have conducted searches in certain
areas in the city as preliminary preparations for the
maintenance of security and order on Monday," he said.

Secretary of the provincial legislature Nurdin Lubis said
local security authorities would deploy 1,200 police and military
personnel to ensure security and order on Monday.

"Besides, the police will guard 85 councillors who will elect
a new governor for the 2003-2008 period," he said, citing that
all councillors were staying at Hotel Tiara in the city a day
before and after the election.

Secretary of the PDI Perjuangan faction Idham Hasibuan
criticized the putting up of councillors at the hotel as
unnecessary, saying such action was against the freedom
principle.

"I personally oppose such a placement. The gubernatorial
election is a constitutional event that should proceed normally;
it is not necessary to quarantine councillors before and after
the election," he said.

Justice Party (PK) local chapter chairman Nuh Abdul Muiz
concurred and said such action had belittled the legislature.

"I'd have no objection if councillors were brought under
police guard from their own houses but it is not necessary to put
them in a hotel under tight security," he said.