Walkout fails to stop mayoral election

Walkout fails to stop mayoral election

Kasparman Piliang, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra

A walkout marred the election of the new Padang Panjang mayor in
West Sumatra on Monday, with at least seven of the 19 members of
the local legislative council storming out of the meeting.

The seven councillors -- five from Golkar Party, two from the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and two
from the United Development Party (PPP) -- said the mayoral
election had to be postponed, arguing it violated the council's
standing orders.

But the walkout failed to stop the contest and 12 members of
the council unanimously elected Suir Syam as the new mayor, and
Adirozal as his deputy. Suir will replace the incumbent mayor,
Yohanis Tamin.

Fatoni Rasyid, who chairs the Golkar faction on the council,
said the walkout was to protest procedural flaws in the election.

"We staged the protest because one of the candidates had not
fulfilled the administrative requirements," he said.

Rasyid said that under the regulations on the mayoral
election, a civil servant must obtain permission from the
minister overseeing the state agency he works for before
standing.

He was apparently referring to Adirozal, who is a lecturer in
Padang Panjang. It was believed that he had not obtained
permission from the national education minister.

The pairing of Suir and Adirozal was nominated by the National
Mandate Party (PAN), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the
Justice Party (PK).

Suir and Adirozal defeated their rivals -- the pairings of
Iskandar Hamzah and Ahmad Rahdi, who were backed by the PDI
Perjuangan, Afrizal Moetwa and Teddi Alfonso backed by Golkar,
and Guspardi Gaus and Masroel Moesa backed by the PPP.

The military/police faction did not name any candidates.

"Whatever the result is, we will consistently reject it as it
is legally flawed," said Rasyid, who was among those who walked
out.

He argued that the election should have been attended by at
least two-thirds of the electoral committee members and all the
faction chairpersons.

"What happened in the election was that three of the six
faction chairpersons, and four of the 10-member election
committee walked out or did not show up," Rasyid said.

Three months ago, similar chaos marred the election of Djasril
as the new mayor of Padang, who it was claimed had failed to meet
the administrative requirements. This led to a delay in his
inauguration.