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aretaker Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho’s unpopular move over Sumut Bank has been seen as a maneuver to gain leverage in his expected run for the next gubernatorial election.

Gatot, who took over his office as an interim governor in April in the wake of the graft case implicating then-governor Syaiful Arifin, announced his firing of Lian Dalimunthe and Irwan Djanahar on Wednesday as the bank’s independent commissioners, citing that both “had been unethical”.

The next gubernatiorial election will be held in March next year.

“I see caretaker Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho has a political agenda behind the removal of those independent commissioners. I presume the vested agenda is related with his interest in running for the election next year,” councilor Mulkan Ritonga told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Gatot’s move was taken during a shareholders’ meeting attended by the heads of 26 regencies/municipalities at his office.

Based on information, the majority of the regional heads in the meeting opposed the move over Lian and Irwan, but their votes weren’t enough to influence the decision given the fact that they had only 40 percent of shares, compared to the provincial administration’s 60 percent.

Mulkan, a member of Commission C in the North Sumatra legislative council, said Gatot used his unchallenged authority to dismantle the bank management built by bank director Gus Irawan Pasaribu, who was lauded as a governor candidate.

The politician, affiliated with the Golkar Party, feared Gatot’s move dented the bank’s reputation.

“We don’t want Bank Sumut, which has been acknowledged as the best (province-owned) bank in Indonesia, to fall only because of an intervention by the caretaker governor,” Mulkan said.

He appealed to Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi to reprimand Gatot “because his move trampled on the political situation in North Sumatra”.

The dean of the Economic School of North Sumatra University (USU), John Tafbu Ritonga, said the former commissioners Lian and Irwan were academics with good reputations.

“They have become victims of authoritarianism. They are shocked at the moment, especially Lian, who has just had heart surgery in Malaysia,” he said.

John said his removal had been triggered by their rejection to bow to chief commissioner Dzaili Azwar, who is also the governor’s aide.

Dzaili was reported to have told Lian and Irwan to agree the nomination of Rudi Dogar Harahap for the director post, replacing Manarata Manik, who died.

Rudi is known to be close to politicians from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the political umbrella of Gatot.

Gatot denied that Lian and Irwan’s dismissal was related to next year’s election. “No. They were dismissed because their conduct was unethical,” he said.