West Lombok gets new regent

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: The pairing of H. Iskandar and Izzul Islam was elected the new regent of West Lombok and his deputy respectively on Saturday for the 2004-2009 period.

The pair won 24 of 45 votes in the regental election by the West Lombok legislative council in the city's capital of Girih Menang.

They defeated their rivals -- the pairing of L. Koeshardi Angrat and M. Isror Idris who took 14 votes, and the pairing of Zaini Arony and Abdul Kasim who grabbed five votes.

Muslim cleric Tuan Guru Haji Muchlis Ibrahim and his running mate Dunul Hayezi got only one vote.

The election, presided over by deputy council speaker H. Sumekar, was marred when councillors became angry after Sumekar stopped the vote count when it became clear that Iskandar and Izzul had won the race. The counting continued and the election ended peacefully. --Antara