Students oppose TNI candidates for governor
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar
Hundreds of students from Muhammadiyah University and the Makassar Islamic Teaching Institute went on strike in the South Sulwesi provincial capital of Makassar on Monday, in opposition to the province's gubernatorial candidates coming from the military.
The strike caused major traffic congestion along main streets of the city as the students marched from their campus to the city center to seek local people's political support for their view.
In front of the provincial legislature building, the demonstrators held a free speech forum, demanding that the legislative council drop all candidates who had a military background, their main reason being that besides being unqualified professionally, such candidates were not committed to reform.
"The most important thing is we are against a governor from the military as a replacement for outgoing Governor HZB Palaguna," said a demonstrator.
Of nine names submitted to the legislative council, four are retired servicemen. They are: former information minister Let. Gen. (ret) Junus Yosfiah, chairman of the provincial legislature Maj. Gen. (ret) Amin Syam, former spokesman for the Indonesian Military Maj. Gen. Amir Syarifudin and former attorney general Lt. Gen. (ret) Andi Ghalib.
The civilians are: rector of Hasanuddin University Radi A. Gani, local businessmen Aksa Mahmud and HM Afifuddin, legislator of the Golkar Party Nurdin Halid and Gowa Regent Syahrul Yasin Limpo.
Nurdin was once interrogated over his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of village cooperatives while Syahrul was questioned earlier this year, over his presence at a narcotics party at a city hotel at which women were present.
Palaguna's term of office will end later this month but the succession was postponed to later this year without explanation.
Kasmin Al Fayed, coordinator of the demonstration, insisted that students were opposing the presence of active or retired military officials in the gubernatorial race in order to maintain civilian domination over the military in the era of reform.
He cited it was impossible to develop democracy under military leadership as the experience under former president Soeharto had shown during his 32 years in office.
Djamaluddin, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Military/National Police faction at the provincial legislature, lashed out at the demonstration, saying that retired military officials, in their capacity as Indonesian citizens, had the right to enter the gubernatorial race.