Sunarto reelected Surabaya mayor

SURABAYA: The incumbent Surabaya mayor, Sunarto Sumoprawiro, was reelected to another five-year term on Monday. One contender, Soetikno, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), was knocked out of the race for a past crime.

Sunarto's victory was a blow to PDI Perjuangan, which topped the votes in last year's general election here and secured 22 of 45 seats at the mayoralty's legislature.

A former colonel Sunarto, representing the National Awakening Party (PKB), won 18 votes to narrowly beat Muchayat from the Military/Police faction who earned 17 votes. Golkar candidate Col. Budiharto Ma'ruf received support from 10 legislators.

Chairman of the local legislature, Basuki, announced before the election began that Soetikno was sidelined for his dark background. The election committee learned of Soetikno's history when it received a copy of the Gresik District Court's verdict sentencing Soetikno to 18 months for stealing a diesel engine belonging to a local textile factory in 1966.

Thousands of Sunarto's supporters, mostly from PDI Perjuangan, celebrated the victory in a motorcade across the town.

Early polls conducted by local papers revealed that Sunarto was an unlikely winner for allowing the sale of some mayoralty property. (nur/sur)