Sampang's new regent to be installed: Surjadi

JAKARTA (JP): The Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja has given an assurance that the East Java governor would install the controversially elected Sampang regent Fahdilah Budiono immediately, a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives said Friday.

House deputy speaker Sutardjo Soerjoguritno said that Surjadi gave the guarantee to Sampang local figure Alawy Muhammad during a meeting in his office, Satunet.com reported.

Sutardjo stated that Alawy came to his house, saying that Budiono should be installed as the Sampang regent soon because the delay of the installment, which had been put off for seven months, has affected the local state officers in performing their duties.

Feeling concerned with the case, Sutardjo took the initiative to facilitate a meeting between Surjadi and Alawy.

"The response of the minister was quite good. He said he would issue a decree to install the regent," he said.

It seems that the East Java governor, Imam Utomo, hesitated to inaugurate the regent as the instruction for the installment did not come from the President Abdurrahman Wahid, Sutardjo said.

Surjadi, however, did not give any comment.

The controversy over the inauguration of Fadhilah, who was supported by the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Military (TNI)/National Police factions, started in September last year following a protest by the supporters of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

The PKB strongly protested the inauguration since it was the largest faction in the council with 18 seats.

Fadhilah, however, secured 23 out of 45 votes, defeating the PKB candidate by just one vote.

The PKB supporters kept on hampering every attempt to inaugurate the elected regent. The tension continued when the supporters of Fadhilah occupied the Sampang regent's office and threatened to burn down all of the government facilities if Imam Utomo did not fulfill their demands to inaugurate Fadhilah soon. (02)