Utomo sworn in as East Java governor

SURABAYA: Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno swore in Imam Utomo on Tuesday as East Java governor to serve another five-year term until 2008.

Around 600 people attended the inauguration ceremony, including local councillors, politicians and officials, as well as Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea and Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih.

Also present were former independence fighter Roeslan Abdulgani, chairman of East Java's National Awakening Party (PKB) Choirul Anam and leader of the province's Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Ali Maschan Musa.

"We should not continue to look back. Leave that behind and unite again to develop East Java for the future of its people," Hari told the gathering.

Utomo, paired with Soenarjo, was backed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle to contest the gubernatorial election on July 17, 2003.

He won 63 votes from the 100-strong East Java Legislative Council, overpowering duo Abdul Kahfi and Ridwan Hisjam nominated by the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Golkar Party.

Former president and PKB chief patron Abdurrahman Wahid said Kahfi would have won the election if Golkar was committed to supporting the coalition with his party. Kahfi, a former deputy Jakarta governor, received only 34 votes.

Utomo, speaking to journalists after the ceremony, promised to prioritize development programs to help the poor.

The programs will include free education for students from poor families, he said.--JP