Pardede appointed as N. Sumatra governor

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan

Minister of Home Affairs Mohammad Ma'ruf has installed North Sumatra Vice Governor Rudolf Pardede as acting governor of the province, replacing Rizal Nurdin who died in a plane crash in Medan on Sept. 5.

Pardede received the message from the minister on Friday but a public announcement was only made on Saturday by the head of the North Sumatra Information and Communications Office, R.E. Nainggolan.

Nainggolan said on Saturday the replacement was based on Law No. 32/2004 on regional governments, which states that if the head of a regional government dies or is incapable of leading the administration, then authority will be transferred to his or her deputy for the remainder of the term. Rizal Nurdin was to have completed his term in June 2008.

Despite the law, the move stunned the North Sumatra provincial council. Councillors expressed regret that the minister did not first consult with the council before making a decision.

"The provincial council has not produced a decision endorsing the leadership of Pardede, but out of nowhere the minister of home affairs appoints him as acting governor," said the head of the Prosperous Justice faction at the council, Sigit Pramono Asri.

Sigit said his fraction strongly opposed the appointment pending the completion of an investigation into alleged diploma forgery by Pardede.

The head of the National Mandate Party faction at the council, Ibrahim Sakty Batubara, said he would question the appointment during a plenary session of the council on Monday.