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Jakarta Post

Pastika inaugurated as new Bali governor

Made Mangku Pastika and Anak Agung Ngurah Puspayoga have officially become Bali's new governor and vice governor to lead the island province for the next five years

Dicky Christanto (The Jakarta Post)
Denpasar
Fri, August 29, 2008

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Pastika inaugurated as new Bali governor

Made Mangku Pastika and Anak Agung Ngurah Puspayoga have officially become Bali's new governor and vice governor to lead the island province for the next five years.

The pair were installed Thursday by Home Minister Mardiyanto in a special plenary of the Bali Legislative Council in Denpasar.

"You have been chosen in the first direct election ever conducted in the province. Therefore, you have the legitimacy to run the upcoming administration more effectively," Mardiyanto said in his inauguration speech.

"And in doing your duties, keep one thing in mind that from now on, the two of you no longer belong to a particular political party but to all Balinese. So you must act on behalf of all the Balinese."

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) supported the pair who replaced Dewa Made Beratha and IGN Kesuma Kelakan who were in office since 2003.

Mardiyanto said that central government expected that newly appointed leaders would apply transparency and accountability in running the administration, as this would illustrate the government's seriousness in promoting clean and effective local governance.

As many as 600 guests, ranging from local councilors to local and national figures, were present at the ceremony including Bali council Speaker Ida Bagus Putu Waisnawa, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, Bali Police Chief Insp. Gen. Teuku Ashikin Husein and Udayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Hotmangaradja Pandjaitan.

However, Cokorda Budi Suryawan and I Gede Winasa, Pastika's competitors in the election, did not attend the ceremony.

Commenting on central government's insistence on good governance, Pastika said that he was ready to respond to by ensuring transparency and accountability right from the start of his tenure.

"I will organize a day in every month when all comers are welcome to discuss anything with me directly at the gubernatorial office hall. Hopefully this will start next month," he told reporters.

When asked about his response to a lawsuit filed last week by Winasa over the latter's defeat at the election, Pastika declined to give any response as he had not received any notification from the South Jakarta District Court related to the lawsuit.

"We will see for what happens next but until now I have received no comunications relating to this lawsuit," he said.

Winasa had filed a lawsuit with the South Jakarta District Court regarding Pastika's status as a police officer, which according to Winas, should have actually prevented Pastika from being named as a candidate from the start.

Petrus Selestinus, Winasa's lawyer, said last week that Pastika had violated the law as it was clearly mentioned in the National Police Law that an active police officer did not have the right to name or be named as a candidate in a regional election.

"So he is not qualified for the governor's position as there is evidence stating that he still has the status of police officer," he told the Tempo Interaktif news portal.

Pastika said he guaranteed that he was no longer a serving police officer when he was named as a candidate.

"I quit the police service before I announced my candidacy," he said.

Pastika was a three star police general before being nominated as a Bali gubernatorial candidate earlier this year. His last police position was executive director of the National Anti Narcotics Agency.

Another landmark in his carreer was to lead the investigation team into the 2002 Bali bombing which killed 202 tourists, mostly foreigners, including 88 Australians.

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