Warsito chosen as C. Kalimantan governor

Warsito chosen as C. Kalimantan governor

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Kalimantan legislature yesterday
voted overwhelmingly for Warsito Rasman, the central government's
candidate, to become the province's new governor.

Warsito, the director general of public administration and
regional autonomy as well as the province's current caretaker
governor, won 39 of 44 possible votes in the election held in
Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan capital, yesterday.

The consensus inside the legislature was not matched outside,
where some 100 people held a protest accusing assembly members of
succumbing to pressure from the central government, according to
a reporter from Kompas daily.

The election capped weeks of controversy with many local
groups insisting that the time had come for the province to be
led by a locally born leader.

Warsito, 62 years old, was appointed caretaker governor in
January after the Ministry of Home Affairs was virtually forced
to annul an earlier election when the legislature was divided
between a local figure and a candidate supplied by Jakarta.

The other two candidates in yesterday's election were both
local figures. Donis N Singaraca, former Palangkaraya mayor and
Elieser Gerson, the provincial government secretary, received one
vote each. Three other votes were declared invalid.

The legislature is dominated by the Golkar faction with 31
members, followed by the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction with eight.
The United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI) factions have three and two members, respectively.

The election, and the ballot counting, was supervised by the
Ministry of Home Affairs' Inspector General Soedradjad
Nataatmadja. He later declared the outcome of the election to be
valid, and that all procedures had been followed.

Warsito's election is still subject to confirmation by
President Soeharto who has the constitutional authority to
appoint provincial governors.

It was the Golkar faction that rebelled after the January
election. This time the faction members were under strict orders
from the group's central executive board in Jakarta to toe the
official line.

Local political analysts quickly gave the election results a
big thumbs down.

Baselman N. Hamun of Palangkaraya University said the election
showed that democracy in the province is still "regulated."

Another analyst, Napa J Awat, said Warsito is not truly rooted
in the region and this will have implications when he assumes the
governorship later.

The 100 demonstrators outside the legislature failed to occupy
the building and they subsequently dispersed peacefully after
yelling out their demands. (emb)