PDI-P wants military man for N. Sumatra governor

Apriadi Gunawan and Yuli Trisuwarni, The Jakarta Post, Medan/Bandung

The North Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) has short-listed three retired military generals among its gubernatorial candidates.

Incumbent Governor Maj. Gen. (ret) Rizal Nurdin, the secretary-general of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas), Lt. Gen. (ret) Amir Sembiring and House of Representatives legislator Maj. Gen. (ret) Raja Kami Sembiring Meliala were named as the party's gubernatorial candidates during a plenary meeting on Tuesday evening.

The chairman of PDI Perjuangan's North Sumatra chapter, Rudolf Pardede, told a news conference on Wednesday that the party had also listed civilian figures, including Provincial Chief Prosecutor Chairuman Harahap, Director General of Social Development Amrun Daulay, House legislator Benny Pasaribu and chairman of the province's chamber of commerce Yopie Batubara, as candidates for governorship.

The secretary of the party's chapter, Edi Rangkuti, flew to Jakarta on Wednesday to deliver the names to party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is expected to choose one of the candidates.

"We are taking all the names to Jakarta to prove that we can uphold democracy, openness and fairness," said Rudolf, who has won Megawati's nod in the run for deputy governorship.

Megawati, who is also the President, reportedly prefers a candidate with a military background.

Rudolf's claim was challenged by PDI Perjuangan provincial councillors Marlon Purba and Robinson Sitepu, who walked out of the meeting on Tuesday. The two men said the chapter had violated the party's guidelines, which restricts the number of gubernatorial candidates proposed to Jakarta to only three.

The PDI Perjuangan faction holds 30 of the 85 seats in the provincial legislature. The gubernatorial election, perhaps the last to use the indirect system, will take place on May 15.

In Bandung, PDI Perjuangan's top councillor, Eka Santosa, and four other figures dropped their bid to run for the governorship on Wednesday.

Eka, who is the provincial legislature speaker, denied allegations that he had come under pressure to forfeit the gubernatorial election.

"There was no pressure from the top. I was just taking seriously my party's mandate to carry out the legislative jobs," he said, adding that he made the decision on Friday, on the eve of Megawati's arrival in Bandung, to celebrate the party's anniversary.

Megawati has ordered the party's supporters in West Java to run for the deputy gubernatorial post. The party has threatened to dismiss individual members who defy the order.

Fellow PDI Perjuangan councillors Gatot Tjahjono and Lumi Darmawan Dayan said they would go on with their bid for governorship, along with the other 73 candidates.

All six factions in the legislature will announce their gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates by April 21. The date for the election has not been set, but it will take place in May.

Another gubernatorial candidate, Husein Jahjasaputra, who is the deputy governor of administrative affairs, announced his withdrawal on Wednesday, citing the absence of an approval from his direct superior, Governor R. Nuriana.

Meanwhile, Popong Otje Djundjunan, the wife of a former Bandung mayor, said she pulled out of the race because the provincial legislature had refused to hold a direct election.

Councillors Rizal Fadillah and Daud Gunawan sent on Wednesday a motion to Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, asking him to delay the gubernatorial election until after the 2004 general election".

"We expect the delay will lead to a direct gubernatorial election, which is more democratic and legitimate," Rizal said.