Sultan to serve for 2nd term

Sultan to serve for 2nd term

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

After months of debate and repeated deadlocks over gubernatorial
election procedures, the Yogyakarta legislative council agreed on
Tuesday to declare Sultan Hamengkubuwono X governor for a second
five-year term.

The appointment of the sultan from the Yogyakarta Kraton and
his deputy, Paku Alam IX from Pakualaman principality, was in
order to maintain the province's special status, councillors
argued.

All six factions in the council finally agreed upon the move
during a plenary meeting attended by the sultan.

"We finally came to a decision, mainly by listening to and
taking into account local people's aspirations," council deputy
speaker Boedi Dewantoro told The Jakarta Post.

However, the sultan will not be sworn in by Minister of Home
Affairs Hari Sabarno until after President Megawati Soekarnoputri
endorses the appointment. The governor ends his first five-year
term on Oct. 3.

Boedi said he hoped the sultan and Paku Alam would be sworn in
by Oct. 3.

By law, gubernatorial candidates from the royal family must be
taken into account for the province.

The council set up a special committee in March to deliberate
procedures on gubernatorial elections in preparation for the
gubernatorial election scheduled for last month.

However, it failed to approve the procedures due to a series
of protests by local residents who demanded that the sultan and
Paku Alam be directly appointed for a second term.

On Sept. 3, the council disbanded the committee, bowing to the
protests.

"We had no choice because local people wanted the sultan and
Paku Alam reappointed. So we made this decision today in the
framework of Yogyakarta's special status," Boedi said.