South Bengkulu gets new regent

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: The legislative council here elected on Thursday the pairing of H. Fauzan Djamil and Jani Hairin as the new regent of South Bengkulu and his deputy respectively for the 2004 to 2009 period.

Fauzan, currently the secretary of the Rejang Lebong regency administration, won 22 votes to defeat his rival pair of Ramlan Saim and Abidin Merahli, who got only 13 votes in the election.

Dozens of people staged a rally outside the council to demand that the next regent of South Bengkulu be elected in a direct election.

Police blocked the protesters from trying to enter the council by installing a barbed wire boundary in front of the compound's gate.

Council speaker Murman Effendi, who presided over the plenary session to elect Fauzan, said local people were given three days to provide input before the electoral outcome was handed over to Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno. -- Antara