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)