KPUD announces race winner today

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Indra Harsaputra ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  SURABAYA   |  Fri, 01/30/2009 3:13 PM  |  East Java

The East Java General Elections Commission (KPUD) will sum up all votes from the three Madura Island regencies of Pamekasan, Sampang and Bangkalan to determine the winner of the bitter and protracted gubernatorial race, says a commissioner.

Arief Budiman, a KPUD commissioner dealing with vote counting affairs, said that after obtaining clarification recently from the Constitutional Court, the KPUD would conduct a summing up of the vote recount in Pamekasan and the vote rerun in Sampang and Bangkalan to determine the winner of the election.

"The summing up will be held at midday Friday, and after making an overall vote tally with the other 35 regencies and municipalities, the final results will be handed over to the provincial legislature to allow the latter to set the date for the inauguration of a new permanent governor," he told The Jakarta Post by telephone.

Several members of the KPUD met with the Constitutional Court in Jakarta earlier this week to make sure the polling body could go ahead with the summing up. The KPUD was previously unsure about whether to go ahead with the process or hand over the results of the vote recount and reruns to the court.

Governor hopeful Soekarwo and his running mate Saifullah Yusuf won a slim victory in the recount and the reruns, giving them overall victory in the race to lead the province over the next five years.

Two-time loser Khofifah Indar Parawansa and her running mate Mudjiono have threatened to file yet another lawsuit with the court over what they claim was massive and systematic violations during the vote recount and reruns.

On Thursday, thousands of Madura residents staged a demonstration at the Sampang legislature building to demand the home minister immediately swear Soekarwo in as the new governor, following his victory in the race.

"We are appealing to the Constitutional Court to turn down the lawsuit that Khofifah wants to file. The province will spend too much money, energy and time if the court accepts the lawsuit to hold a fourth round of voting in the three regencies," rally coordinator Arman Saputra was quoted as saying by Antara.

Saifullah said in Surabaya that he and Soekarwo wished to meet with Khofifah and Mudjiono to extend a hand of friendship, despite the latter's second defeat in the race.

"I hope Ibu Khofifah is ready to receive us at her residence because she is my old friend," he said.

Minister of cooperatives and small-scale enterprises, Suryadharma Ali, backed Khofifah's push for yet another lawsuit, adding that his party would never tolerate the "dirty game" played during the race.

"We will accept the gubernatorial election result in a sporting manner, but we will not turn a blind eye to the numerous violations and vote-buying during the revote," he said

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.