West Java gubernatorial election result accepted
West Java gubernatorial election result accepted
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Following a marathon three-day plenary meeting, the West Java
provincial legislative council finally accepted the victory of
Danny Setiawan and his running mate Nu'man Abdul Hakim in the
recent gubernatorial election.
A majority of councillors attending the session agreed to
certify the gubernatorial election's result after all parties
presented their political stance on the election.
Antara news agency reported on Thursday that the plenary
session which was scheduled for May 27, lasted until Thursday
after the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) whose candidate was defeated, asked for an
investigation into alleged vote buying during the election.
The party said the plenary session should also listen to the
protest of the election by nine organizations and to respond to
the eleven councillors who abstained during the election.
The Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP),
military/police and coalition factions believed that there was
not any bribery in the election and that therefore the election
results were valid.
In the gubernatorial election held May 22, Setiawan and his
running mate, nominated by Golkar and PPP factions, won 49 votes
while Tayo Tarmadi and his running mate, nominated by PDI
Perjuangan and the National Awakening party collected only 39
votes. Of the 100 members of the provincial legislature, eleven
abstained and one walked out.
Tayo and his running mate lost after the PDI Perjuangan and
PKB factions failed to win the support of the eleven member
military/police faction.
Provincial legislature chairman Eka Santosa, who presided over
the plenary session, said that the gubernatorial election results
would be delivered to the President through Home Minister Hari
Sabarno for approval.
"The President is expected to approve it and the minister is
expected to set the date for the inauguration of the new governor
and deputy governor," he said. He expected the new governor to be
sworn in before June 8, the day outgoing governor R. Nuriana's
tenure would end.
Setiawan and Nu'man will serve their terms of office June 2003
to June 2008.
The regional autonomy law allows the President to delay the
elect-governor's inauguration if he and his running mate
allegedly bribed any councillors or committed other crimes in the
past.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has suspended the installment
of Alzier Tabrani as Lampung governor because he was allegedly
involved in several corruption cases during his tenure as
secretary to the provincial administration. He is being
investigated by police in Jakarta.
The North Sumatra legislature has yet to endorse the result of
the recent gubernatorial election because a group of students
have questioned the authenticity of elect-deputy governor Rudolf
Pardede's high school diploma.
The students have accused Rudolf of using a fake diploma to
meet the eligibility requirements for the election. He was
incumbent governor T. Rizal Nurdin's running mate during the
election.