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.