PPP, Golkar axe three dissidents

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.