N. Maluku election entrusted to council

Fri, 03/28/2008 11:27 AM

JAKARTA: Home Minister Mardiyanto said Thursday the government would leave the result of the much-debated gubernatorial election of North Maluku to the discretion of the province's council.

"The government will allow the North Maluku council to decide the winner of the election to name the new governor and vice governor," he told a press conference at the presidential office after meeting with President Yudhoyono.

"We have asked the council to hold a plenary session to name the winner."

He said the government's decision followed a stalemate over the election result.

Debates between supporters of the competing pairs, Thaib Armaiyn-Abdul Gani Kasuba and Abdul Gafur-Abdurrahim Fabanyo, have brought the case to the Supreme Court, which then ordered the provincial election board to recount ballot papers in four districts.

However, the election board's members were deferred on the results of the recounts.

The provincial council later decided to propose the two pairs to the central government. -- JP

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