Sultan named sole candidate for governor
YOGYAKARTA (JP): After weeks of debate the provincial legislature here took a vote yesterday evening and decided to put forward the name of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X as the sole candidate for governor.
Sri Sultan defeated rival Alfian Darmawan, the chairman of the Yogyakarta chapter of the United Development Party, and must now gain the approval of the central government.
How the votes were placed in the 45-member legislature was not immediately known.
The vote ended weeks of controversy in which many believed the very standing of the province's special status was at stake.
The issue revolved around the debate on whether someone other than the Yogyakarta aristocracy could assume the post or even be nominated as governor.
The Golkar and Armed Forces factions, with apparent strong public support, nominated Sri Sultan as candidate.
However the United Development Party (PPP) faction insisted on nominating Alfian, thus forcing a vote on the matter.
Many argued that PPP's action would jeopardize Yogyakarta's special status, enshrined in Law No. 3/1950, in which Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX was appointed governor and Paku Alam VIII as his deputy.
When the elder Sri Sultan died in 1988, Paku Alam took over as acting governor until he recently asked to step down for health reasons.
The Golkar and Armed Forces factions have argued that Yogyakarta's special legal status requires the governor to be selected from one of the province's two aristocratic houses.
The situation reached an impasse when the PPP refused to back down on its decision to nominate their own candidate, despite repeated public rallies demanding that Sri Sultan be put forward as the sole nominee.
The Yogyakarta legislature will now submit Sri Sultan's name to the central government for approval.
Special status
The overwhelming public display of support for the Sultan and demands that Yogyakarta retain its special status continued throughout the day yesterday.
About 700 protesters from all walks of life -- pedicab drivers, street vendors, housewives, students and office employees -- gathered in front of the legislature building to demand the legislators support Sri Sultan.
The protesters even forced provincial legislature speaker Subagyo Waryadi to sign a statement pledging his commitment to nominate Sri Sultan as the sole candidate.
"We no longer believe oral statements. We need a written one. Should you (legislators) refuse to comply, we will stay here until you do," one protester, Endang Sudjonoworo, said as she presented Subagyo with a prepared statement for him to sign.
Subagyo, himself a representative of the Armed Forces faction, signed the statement in a personal capacity.
Several other legislators also signed to demonstrate their support to the public.
Late yesterday evening the grounds of the provincial legislature building were still filled with hundreds of people and a carnival-like atmosphere prevailed. (23/44/swa)