Sutiyoso now certain to contest election on Sept. 11

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Incumbent Governor Sutiyoso will definitely take part in the gubernatorial election on Sept. 11 as two major factions on the City Council confirmed on Thursday that he would be their only candidate.

Sutiyoso, who is paired with current city secretary Fauzi Bowo as vice gubernatorial candidate, is nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, which has 30 seats on the Council, and the Golkar faction, which has eight.

Binsar Tambunan, a councillor from the PDI Perjuangan faction, confirmed on Thursday that his faction had decided that Sutiyoso and Fauzi would be its only candidates.

According to Binsar, chairman of the PDI Perjuangan Jakarta chapter Tarmidi Suhardjo, who was also the party's gubernatorial candidate in the faction, has accepted the final decision of the faction.

On Friday, the City Council will further shortlist all of the candidates, leaving possibly 11 pairs at most or two pairs as a minimum. The Council will have to report the selected candidates to the President before they take part in the gubernatorial election on Sept. 11.

Tarmidi, who is paired with secretary-general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Abdillah Toha, is another potential candidate of PDI Perjuangan.

Another dark horse is Edy Waluyo, who was nominated by the United Development Party (PPP) faction.

The PDIP faction's decision to nominate Sutiyoso is in compliance with the party's central board recommendation signed by its chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who instructed all councillors from the party to support him.

But the party's grassroot supporters, particularly victims of the July 27, 1996 incident, rejected Sutiyoso's nomination. The July 27 incident refers to the attack by military and civilian supporters of PDI chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri's rival, Soerjadi, on the party headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta on July 27, 1996.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Golkar faction Ade Surapriatna said that the nomination of Sutiyoso and Fauzi was based on political realities. "He (Sutiyoso) is supported by the largest faction, PDI Perjuangan, and that's why we support him."

By appointing Sutiyoso and Fauzi as its pair of candidates, Golkar is shunning its other, Tutty Alawiyah.

Meanwhile, the Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) was unable on Thursday to question Sutiyoso over his controversial wealth as cited by the public, as he reportedly fell sick.

Sutiyoso was scheduled to be questioned by KPKPN officials at 1 p.m. on Thursday about the assets that was not included in his report to KPKPN.

These include a demolished villa in the Puncak, Bogor, West Java. He would also have been questioned about funds allegedly used as hush money for victims of the July 27 incident.