Sultan waiting for govt's decree

YOGYAKARTA: Popular Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X said here yesterday he was waiting for word from President B.J. Habibie on the appointment of the special province's governor, in which he is a strong candidate.

"It's up to the government. It has the right to decide, hasn't it?" he told journalists on the sidelines of a seminar here.

Strongly supported by the provincial legislature's Golkar and Armed Forces faction and popularly wooed by the ancient city's residents, Sri Sultan's sole contender for the governorship is Alfian Darmawan of the United Development Party (PPP) faction.

Sri Sultan said it would depend on the President whether to base his upcoming appointment on the 1974 Law on regional administration, or on decree No.3/1950 which declared Yogyakarta a special province.

"The problem is that when the decision is made, is it made directly or after listening to the Yogyakarta's people aspiration first?" he said.

Based on the 1950 law, the governor should be chosen from either of two aristocratic houses -- the Yogyakarta Keraton or the Pura Paku Alaman.

PPP contends that the 1974 supersedes the 1950 law, and thus anyone is entitled to run as governor.

Since the first governor, Hamengkubuwono IX, passed away in 1988, Paku Alam VIII served as the "acting governor". He retired recently at age 88. (23/44)