PPP, Golkar axe three dissidents
Kasparman Piliang, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra
Three members of the 19-strong Padang Panjang legislative council in West Sumatra have been fired from their respective parties for allegedly voting for rival candidates in the mayoral election, politicians said on Thursday.
Councillors Akhyar Syafnur Datuk Bagindo and Dahlinar of the United Development Party (PPP), and Suhaimi from the Golkar Party were blamed for breaching the policies of their respective parties when they refused to vote for their own party candidates.
The mayoral election was marred by a walkout by nine councillors in a protest against one of the candidates, Adirozal.
But the walkout failed to stop the contest and 12 members of the council unanimously elected Suir Syam to replace incumbent mayor Yohanis Tamin, and Adirozal as his deputy.
Suir and Adirozal were nominated by the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Justice Party (PK).
Syahrudji Tanjung, who chairs the PPP chapter of West Sumatra, confirmed the removal of Ahyar and Dahlinar from the party, as they were believed to have cast their votes for Suir and Adirozal.
When the PPP faction chairman in the council, Nurhadi, joined the walkout, both Ahyar and Dahlinar remained and chose to take part in the election process.
The PPP faction had nominated the pair of Guspardi Gaus and Masrul, but they did not earn any votes.
Djusril Jusan, a leader of Golkar's West Sumatra chapter, said his party would fire Suhaimi, who was also accused of being disloyal to the party.
Suhaimi apparently defied Golkar's order to support the pairing of Afrizal Moetwa and Teddi Alfonso and voted for Suir.
The nine councillors who walked out of the election -- five from Golkar, two from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and two from the PPP -- said the mayoral election had to be postponed, arguing it violated the council's standing orders.
They said they had walked out of the election to protest procedural flaws, because Adirozal had not fulfilled the administrative requirements.
As a civil servant, Adirozal should have obtained permission from the national education minister to be able to contest the race, but had not, the protesters said, citing the regulations on the mayoral election.