Students oppose TNI candidates for governor

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.