Team to probe abuses in governor election

JAKARTA (JP): The government has set up a team to investigate whether bribery took place during the recent election of Abdul Gafur of Golkar Party as governor of North Maluku, announced the outgoing minister of home affairs and regional autonomy Soerjadi Soedirdja.

Speaking to reporters, after a ceremony to hand over his job to his successor Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno, Soerjadi said the team comprised officials from the directorate general of regional autonomy, the inspectorate of the Ministry of Home Affairs and members of the House of Representatives Commission II on Legal and Home Affairs.

"If they find that the newly elected governor has used money politics then we will hold a new election," he said, adding that the team will start their investigation next week.

Gafur, who once served as state minister of sports and youth affairs under the administration of former president Soeharto, was elected on June 5 as the governor of North Maluku, replacing acting governor Muhyi Effendie.

However, the provincial council, after receiving reports that Abdul Gafur gave money to two councillors to elect him, decided to temporarily suspend the election result, pending further investigation. The two councillors are M. Sahatin of Golkar Party and Muksin Sudara of the United Development Party (PPP).

The provincial council also recommended to the Minister of Home Affairs to extend the term of Muhyi Effendie until a new governor was elected.

Soerjadi also revealed that he had sent letters on two separate occasions to East Java Governor Imam Utomo, asking him to install the controversially elected Sampang regent Fahdilah Budiono.

"But Pak Imam Utomo objected to doing it immediately as he had to wait for conducive conditions there," Soerjadi said, without further elaboration.

East Java is known as the strong base of former president Abdurrahman Wahid's Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) organization. (tso)