Governor v. Mayor

Kendari
The authority of a mayor is clearly less than that of a governor. However, in Kendari, the capital city of South East Sulawesi province, the mayor doesn't want to defer to his governor. The situation is currently up in the air. Governor La Ode Kaimoeddin resolutely refuses to recognize Masyhur Masie as the newly elected Mayor of Kendari. In fact, he gave an ultimatum to the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) to nullify the result of the election, which took place last Monday. Meanwhile, Masie insists that he is still the rightful leader of the City of Kendari, now in his second term. On the other hand, Kendari DPRD holds that the election was held cleanly and was free from money politics.
What was Kaimoeddin's reason for the ultimatum? He feels that Masie is unfit to become mayor for a second term. The measure of this is clear. Based on the evaluation of the Regional Supervisory Agency (BPD), Masie was only able to attain 30 percent of his assigned developmental target. In order to remain in office, he should have attained at least 80 percent. Kaimoeddin cited the renovation of the Mandonga Market, which burned down in late 1999. The renovation has still not been done. The same goes for road construction. "He can't even pave a road and he wants to be mayor," said Kaimoeddin.
In addition, Masie failed to deliver his speech of public accountability on time. The latest date to deliver the speech was July 27, 2001. As it turns out, he made the speech on August 6. For that reason, Kaimoeddin wants Masie out.
Despite being rejected by the governor, Masie has not backed down. He has even gone a step further by lobbying the governor's superior in Jakarta. On July 5, the Minister of Home Affairs (Surjadi Soedirdja at the time) had already authorized Masie to run for office. Four factions in the Kendari DPRD (Golkar, PDI-P, and Military/Police factions) finally approved three candidates.
Aside from Masie, the other two were Buhari Matta (Head of Southeast Sulawesi's Environmental Impact Management Agency), and Umar Saranani (a DPRD member). Masie's chances to be reelected were good—14 of the 25 members in Kendari's DPRD are from Golkar. The election was held September 17, 2001. As predicted, Masie won by a narrow margin. He obtained 13 votes, while his opponent, Buhari Matta from the Reform Faction, gained 12 votes.
Such resistance has enraged Kaimoeddin. In his opinion, the governor, as an extension of the power of the central government, can annul the election. "Just because there is regional autonomy, Kendari shouldn't do as it pleases and look down upon the provincial government," he told Dedy Kurniawan from TEMPO. For that reason, Kaimoeddin does not want to appoint Masie, and has even asked the DPR to annul the result of the election by September 27 at the latest. The date coincides with the end of Masie's first term. "If the Minister of Home Affairs agrees with the decision of the DPRD, then let him appoint him," reiterated Kaimoeddin.
Challenges against Masie have not only come from the governor, but from Kendari's State Administrative Court (PTUN) as well. In a split decision on a claim made by National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman in Kendari, Nur Alam, to the DPRD, PTUN requested that Masie's candidacy be postponed. However, Masie was not too alarmed as he had the support of Golkar Party chairman, Akbar Tandjung.
At present, a ruling from the Minister of Home Affairs, Hari Sabarno, is needed to solve the matter. In any case, chaos in Kendari cannot be allowed to drag on, such as in Sampang, East Java. Until now, Fadillah Budiono has not yet been appointed by either the Governor of East Java or the home affairs minister, even though the Sampang DPRD has already established that he won in the election of the Regent.