S. Kalimantan governor still in charge: Minister

S. Kalimantan governor still in charge: Minister

Tiarma Siboro and Yuliansyah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Banjarmasin

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno asserted on Friday that
South Kalimantan Governor Sjachriel Darham, who was unseated by
the provincial legislature on Wednesday, was still in charges of
running the province.

"A governor is appointed by the president through a
presidential decree. So if the decree on Sjachriel's appointment
does not change, he is still the legal governor and must continue
to carry out his duties."

Hari said that to end the controversy surrounding Sjachriel's
ouster, the minister would set up an independent team to
investigate the case.

"The team will comprise experts on the Constitution and laws
on politics and governance," the minister said.

The dismissed governor remained at work and led a meeting with
the heads of local government agencies immediately after arriving
home from Jakarta on Friday morning.

Sjachriel said he would not quit because his dismissal was
unconstitutional and that President Megawati Soekarnoputri and
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno were yet to approve the
move.

"I have met with Pak Hari Sabarno (in Jakarta on Thursday) and
he said the council's decision was not in line with prevailing
procedures," Sjachriel told journalists at his office.

Hari said the removal contravened Decree No. 108/2002 on the
accountability mechanism for governors, mayors or regents.

After unseating Sjachriel and Hussein, the council appointed
secretary of the provincial administration Baderani to
temporarily take charge until Hari appointed an acting governor.

Responding to Sjachriel's move to stay in office, South
Kalimantan legislative council speaker Mansyah Add said it would
be "useless" for Sjachriel to stay as the legislature had issued
a no-confidence motion against the governor.

"Let him continue to work, but we do not recognize him any
longer, nor will we cooperate with him," Mansyah said.

He denied the dismissal contravened regulations and was
influenced by pressure by thousands of demonstrators who occupied
the council's building.

"We had even tried to invite the governor to attend a plenary
session (through which he was dismissed), but he went to
Jakarta," he said.

Mansyah claimed the council had been long unhappy with the
performance of Sjachriel and Hussein and that their dismissal was
the outcome of its final evaluation on their handling of the
administration.

However, the removal was decided despite the fact that the
council had earlier accepted the governor's budget accountability
report.

Though officially the reasons for the pair's dismissal center
on allegations of corruption, there is also speculation it could
relate to the governor's opposition to gambling interests who
have bribed councillors to oust him.

Meanwhile, military and police personnel stood guard at the
council compound on Friday as thousands of Sjachriel's supporters
staged a counter rally.