Warsito tipped for C. Kalimantan governor

Warsito tipped for C. Kalimantan governor

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Executive Board of Golkar yesterday
gave its wholehearted endorsement of the government's candidate
in the upcoming election for Central Kalimantan governor.

Deputy chairman Waskito Reksosudirdjo said the board backs the
candidacy of Warsito Rasman, who is also the current acting
governor, because he enjoys strong support in the provincial
legislative council which will vote later this month.

"Warsito has been asked by the local people to lead them,"
Waskito said after meeting with regional leaders of Golkar.

Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. insisted yesterday
that Warsito's candidacy was legal with strong support from the
Central Kalimantan provincial legislative council.

Warsito, the director general of public administration and
regional autonomy of the ministry, was appointed acting governor
in January after an earlier election was annulled amid
controversy. The local chapter of Golkar has insisted that the
post go to a locally-born figure.

The controversy over the candidacy of Warsito, who hails from
Java, burst into the open last week after Yogie said in a hearing
with the House of Representatives in Jakarta that he personally
backed Warsito.

Yogie's statement drew waves of protest from both House
members and Central Kalimantan political activists who want to
have a governor elected from among indigenous figures.

Critics recalled that Yogie had assured when swearing in
Warsito in January that the acting governor would not run in the
election.

Warsito is one of the five candidates selected by the local
legislature. The others are Asmawi A. Gani, Abdullah Zainie,
Donis Singaraca and Elizer Gerson, all being local bureaucrats.

Asmawi, currently the regent of Barito, receives the strongest
support from the people of Central Kalimantan.

Among those opposing Warsito's candidacy are local members of
Dewan Harian Angkatan 45, an influential organization of retired
military officers.

Waskito criticized the veterans' organization for claiming
that it represented the people. "Which people do they represent?"
he asked rhetorically, adding that only the three political
organizations, Golkar, PDI (Indonesian Democratic Party) and PPP
(United Development Party) can claim to represent the people.

On a separate occasion, Yogie said there was "no problem" with
Warsito's candidacy because it was decided by the legislature.

"Who says there is a problem? You must be fabricating the
issue," he replied to journalists who besieged him after he
opened a meeting with governors.

A similar comment was aired by Soedradjat Nataatmadja, the
ministry's secretary general that Yogie assigned to monitor the
selection of the Central Kalimantan gubernatorial candidates.

"The local legislature wishes to have his name on the
candidacy list. So what's the problem?" he said as quoted by
Antara.

Soedradjat criticized the Central Kalimantan chapter of Dewan
Harian Angkatan 45. He said the organization had unduly played
practical politics in the gubernatorial election. (pan)