Parties endorse election results in East Java

SURABAYA (JP): The three parties' East Java chapters endorsed election results yesterday to seal the allocation of seats in the provincial legislative council.

Governor Basofi Soedirman witnessed the United Development Party's (PPP) provincial chief Sumly Syadeli, his Golkar counterpart Hudan Dardiri and the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) provincial deputy chief Ardiwar sign a document approving the results.

Yesterday was the deadline for provincial party chapters throughout the country to approve election results. The central board of the three parties will now have five days to endorse or reject the results, which determine the distribution of House of Representatives seats, before next Monday's announcement of final results by the National Elections Committee.

Golkar romped home in East Java with 50 seats in the provincial legislative body, followed by the PPP with 27 seats. The PDI gained only three seats, one of which came after Golkar and the PPP had given it votes.

The three parties agreed that Golkar's and the PPP's unallocated votes would go to the PDI to give it another seat in the council.

Golkar gave more than 91,000 of its total 12,507,305 votes and PPP donated more than 14,000 of its 6,535.868 votes. Five years ago, the PDI won 13 seats on the council.

Eighty council seats were up for grabs in May 29 election. The council's other 20 seats were reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.

"I thank you all because everything has finally been completed despite some disturbances," Basofi said.

Riots over vote-rigging allegations rocked Bangkalan on Madura island, Pasuruan and Jember recently while the province was nursing its wounds after riots in Sampang and Pamekasan on Madura island over the same allegations on election day, May 29.

The PPP's offices in Sampang, Pamekasan and Magetan had refused to approve election results in their regencies because of the local government's failure to handle perceived electoral law violations.

The PPP's East Java chapter announced yesterday that, despite its approval of election results, it would take cases of violations to court.

PDI representative Ardiwar said the party's East Java chapter had agreed to approve the results after finding that "all violation allegations had been settled properly by the election committee".

The party's leadership had earlier ordered all its chapters and branches to reject election results until the government was willing to take legal measures against the violators.

Ardiwar signed the approval on behalf of the chapter's chairman, Dimmy Haryanto, who, he said, was busy with the party's meetings in Jakarta. Dimmy is also a PDI central board deputy chairman.

The PDI's paltry outcome means that it will lose its deputy chairmanship post in the legislative council. A party must hold at least five seats to have a representative on the council's leadership board.

In Central Java, poll results were unanimously approved by the three parties after a fierce debate Monday, when the PDI provincial chief Sumaryo surprisingly announced that he would give up his seat in the legislative council.

Sumaryo was tightlipped about his decision.

PDI won only two seats with its 477,851 votes, finishing a distant third behind Golkar with 54 seats and the PPP's 24 seats.

There was no vote trade-off between the three party's chapters which could have helped the PDI win one more seat. The PDI has failed to gain enough seats to secure a place on the council's leadership board.

Also Monday, ballot counting was approved for West Java with Golkar on top with 58 seats, ahead of the PPP which earned 21 seats and the PDI which gained only one seat. There was no agreement on trade-off votes.

Governor Nuriana, who chairs the provincial electoral committee, said that all three parties should accept the results with an open heart.

Results were also approved yesterday in Central Sulawesi, East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan, Antara reported.

There were no major surprises in these provinces, except Golkar's announcement that it would help the PPP and PDI to secure another seat each in the Central Sulawesi legislative council. Of the 36 seats on offer, Golkar won the lion's share with 30, followed by the PPP's four seats and the PDI's two seats.

The PDI was less humiliated in West Kalimantan where it won six seats, down from eight in 1992. The party finished second behind Golkar which won 25 seats and ahead of PPP which gained five. (nur/har/amd)