Golkar’s office torched over Gowa poll dispute

An alleged arson attack at the Golkar Party’s office in Gowa, South Sulawesi, Wednesday prompted a politician to raise suspicion it was connected to the regency’s disputed election in June.

Eyewitnesses said that they heard the sound of a window breaking and then the office was suddenly ablaze. Witnesses alleged that the fire, which seriously damaged the building, was set by two men seen fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.

Gowa Police chief detective Adj. Comr. Ardi Rahananto said he had not yet determined the cause of the fire.

“We’re still conducting an investigation and are waiting for forensic lab’s results. We don’t know if the office was intentionally set on fire or not,” he said.

Golkar Gowa chairman Tenri Olle, who is the eldest brother of South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo, said he did not want to jump to conclusions.

He added that previous incidents in the area have raised people’s suspicions that the fire was related to the results of Gowa’s regional election, which took place in June.

“Golkar was one of the parties that backed the newly elected Gowa Regent Ichsan Yasin Limpo and his deputy Abdul Razak Badjidu. We trust the police to handle this case according to procedure,” said Tenri, who is also the new regent’s brother.

Ichsan was sworn in as regent earlier this month.

The losing ticket, Andi Maddusila Andi Idjo and Jamaluddin Rustam, rejected the poll’s results, saying that Ichsan’s campaign had illegally registered for the election.

The campaign alleged that Ichsan does not have the elementary school diploma required by regent candidates, only a letter certifying his elementary school attendance — and that his junior high school diploma was also counterfeit.

There have been similar acts of violence in the regency in the election’s wake. Molotov cocktails were thrown into a three regency-owned buses — including two school busses — and the Gowa Legislative Council building was also attacked.

In East Fores, the fate of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) regency election remains unclear
after the poll was postponed in early June due to a conflict between the General Elections Commission [KPUD] at the regency, provincial and central levels.

The spat led to the dismissal of the East Flores KPUD chairman and three of his officials in July. As of Wednesday, four temporary replacements have not yet been installed.

No date has been fixed for the election. The terms of incumbent regent Simon Hayon and deputy regent Yoseph Lagadoni Herin end on Aug. 27.

NTT Legislative Council member Anton Landi said the provincial KPUD must immediately install the new KPUD members so that East Flores could prepare for the election.

“The conflict has confused the public. If new members for the East Flores KPUD have been selected, they’d better be sworn in so the election process can go on,” he said Wednesday.