Pardede installed despite controversy
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno oversaw the inauguration on Monday for governor-elect T. Rizal Nurdin and deputy Rudolf Pardede despite the ongoing investigation of the latter, who allegedly has a fake high school diploma.
Speaking after the inauguration, Hari said that Pardede would be held responsible if he is found guilty.
He said that the central government would not take any actions before the North Sumatra Police finish their investigation. The police are still researching the case and have sent a special team to a high school in Sukabumi, West Java, which Pardede claimed that he had graduated from.
Hari has apparently decided not to intervene until the probe is complete.
"Pardede was inaugurated today. If he has any legal problems, they will be his responsibility. The legal process must continue," Hari said.
The inauguration ceremony was boycotted by all the councillors from the Golkar Party faction. They had threatened on Friday to boycott the event due to their disappointment over the central government's decision to allow Pardede to be installed as the deputy governor despite the controversial case that has attracted public attention.
Rizal and Pardede were both nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and won the vote on May 26 against Chairuman Harahap, chief of the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office, and Serta Ginting, deputy speaker of the North Sumatra Council from Golkar Party faction. Rizal and Pardede won the vote 51 to 33.
Pardede -- son of the late T.D. Pardede, a successful businessman -- is chairman of the North Sumatra branch of PDI Perjuangan.
Around 2,000 police officers were deployed to guard the inauguration, which was also attended by other high ranking officials, including Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, former North Sumatra governor Raja Inal Siregar, several legislators and delegates from neighboring countries.
According to Hari, Pardede claimed that his high school diploma was missing. He later attached a letter informing the election committee that he graduated from the Penabur Christian high school in Sukabumi before he ran for the deputy governor position. Hari said that Pardede graduated from a college abroad but would not say which country or the name of the college.
The Penabur Christian high school principal Martha Christiawati sent a letter dated May 28, 2003, informing the council and home ministry that there was no student named Rudolf Mazuoka Pardede on the school records.
Hari explained that the Ministry of Home Affairs had examined all the documentation for all North Sumatra gubernatorial candidates based on recommendations from the election committee and the North Sumatra council.
"If there is any problems with a candidate's papers, including Rudolf Pardede, it would be the responsibility of the committee and the faction which nominated him," he said.
Meanwhile, Pardede told The Jakarta Post that he was not feeling any pressure about the allegation and would leave the investigation to the police.
"The police are investigating, so let's just wait for the result," he said.