Regent inaugurated despite controversy

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto, Central Java

Banyumas Legislative Council swore in Aris Setiono as the Banyumas regent and Imam Durori as his deputy, ending controversy over bribery charges that delayed their inauguration last month.

Central Java Governor Mardiyanto led Saturday's inauguration ceremony, which will see the pair lead Banyumas for the next five years, until 2008.

"The heavy responsibilities of the regent and his deputy include the high levels of poverty and unemployment in Banyumas," said Mardiyanto in his speech.

The two were elected on March 19, marking the first election in Banyumas held under the 1999 autonomy laws. Regional autonomy allows councillors to elect their governors, regents and mayors without having to consult the president.

Setiono and Durori, both from the Golkar faction, should have been sworn in on March 24. The council, however, ruled the election results as void after an investigation by the election committee into reports that alleged bribery behind their election.

The reports had been made by the Swara Hati foundation and the Banyumas chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

In its report to the council, the PDI Perjuangan faction said its members, Achmad Sudirta and Supadi, confessed they had accepted Rp 200 million (about US$22,400) from Setiono in return for their votes.

Both PDI-Perjuangan members later retracted their confessions.

A plenary session of the council then decided to clear Setiono and Durori of the charges.

Governor Mardiyanto said that anyone disagreeing with the election of the two should take their complaint to court.

"Let the legal process and the political process go their own ways; that's why the inauguration has been carried out anyway," the governor said.

PDI-Perjuangan factions dominate most councils, but they have often lost out to other factions during gubernatorial and regency elections.

Charges of bribery have marred the elections in several provinces, while others have become embroiled in disputes between councillors and local administrations.