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.