Goverment Reschedules 39 Local Elections
The government will move forward 39 local elections scheduled for between January and July 2009 to prevent them from disturbing the general election, says a minister.
"The 39 local elections, including the gubernatorial race in Lampung, will be held between September and December, 2008 but their winners will be sworn in not after the elections but the same day that the outgoing regional heads end their terms of office," Home Minister Mardiyanto said after a hearing with the home affairs commission of the House of Representatives here Wednesday.
The planned rescheduling of the locations is one of several crucial points that will be inserted in a bill to review the 2004 Regional Administration Law.
Learning from several recent local elections, including the troubled gubernatorial election in South Sulawesi, he said the government did not want any risk of political instability during the general election and had therefore enhanced coordination with the House to prepare the needed regulations and with the General Election Commission (KPU) to manage all the elections.
The legislative election is scheduled for April, 2009, while the presidential and vice presidential elections are to be held in October, 2009.
The 39 rescheduled local elections are the Lampung governor election, the municipal and regency elections in Banjar, Belu , Nabire, Lebak, Ogan Komering Ilir, Indragiri, Garut, Biak Numfor, Probolinggo, Polemas, Wajo, Luwu, Padang, Langkat, Tarakan, Kerinci, Belitung Alor, Bengkulu, Tabalong, Tegal, Magelang, Kupang, Kediri, Modjokerto, Magelang, Bogor, Ciamis, Ende, Tapanuli Utara, Donggala, Tegal, Pontianak, Dairi, Pinrang, West Lombok, Madiun, Makassar and Talaud
Mardiyanto said further that local elections that took place in the same month in a province would be held on the same day and incumbent regional heads seeking their re-election would be required to become non-active following their candidacy's registration to prevent them from abusing their authority and state facilities to win the elections.
"Both the central government and the KPU should stay neutral and work professionally in organizing the local elections as this is quite important to avoid any possible conflicts among candidates' supporters," he said, adding that the government would help facilitate all stake-holders to settle any problems that could jeopardize the local elections.
The minister also said the review bill would also regulate the official mechanism to fill in vacant jobs which were left by officials who could no longer do their jobs because of illnesses or promotion.
"Such cases have happened in the gubernatorial posts in North Sumatra and Central Java," he said.
The position of vice governor in the two provinces has been left vacant following the appointment of Rudolf Pardede as permanent governor to replace Rizal Nurdin, who was killed in the 2005 Mandala airplane crash, and his appointment as home minister last year to replace Mohammad Ma'ruf, who was unable to work after suffering a stroke
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RACHMAD YULIADI NASIR
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