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Pekalongan mayor to sue home minister
Pekalongan Mayor Basyir Achmad has threatened to sue Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo if the minister does not allow him to resign as mayor
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P
ekalongan Mayor Basyir Achmad has threatened to sue Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo if the minister does not allow him to resign as mayor.
'On June 24, I tendered my resignation directly with the home minister and announced my desire to formally step down as of July 16, the same date that I was sworn in as mayor,' Basyir told media in Pekalongan, Central Java.
However, he is yet to receive a reply from the home minister since he tendered his resignation several days ago.
'I'm still waiting, but if my resignation is not accepted I will file a lawsuit against the minister at the State Administrative Court,' Basyir, who is also a politician from the Golkar Party, said.
Rumors have been circulating in Pekalongan, that Basyir is resigning as mayor to pave the way for his wife Balqies Diab, who is also the city legislative (DPRD) speaker, to legally run as a mayoral candidate.
The latest General Elections Commission (KPU) regulation bans relatives, including wives of incumbents, to contest as candidates. Should a family member wish to contest an election for a regional leadership position, the incumbent must first step down from office.
The regulation is stipulated in KPU Circular Letter No. 302/KPU/VI/2015 dated June 12, 2015.
However, Basyir rejected the rumors. 'They're untrue. Registrations have not even begun. It's satisfactory for my wife to be the DPRD speaker, although as a party cadre I cannot avoid party decisions,' said Basyir.
He added his resignation was a personal right that no one could obstruct.
He claimed that his resignation as mayor is because he wishes to remain neutral in the Pekalongan mayoral election, which will be held simultaneously at the end of December this year, together with 20 other regencies in Central Java.
'That's my only reason, and there's no other reason,' said Basyir, who has served two terms as Pekalongan mayor since 2005. His second term ends in December 2015.
Out of 269 regions scheduled to hold concurrent regional elections this year, 201 will have leaders whose tenures expire in 2015.
Thirty-five of 16 regencies and cities in Central Java will hold simultaneous regional leadership elections at the end of December this year, including Pekalongan city.
The regencies and cities are Blora, Boyolali, Kebumen, Kendal, Klaten, Purbalingga, Purworejo, Rembang, Semarang, Sukoharjo, Wonogiri, Wonosobo. Magelang, Pekalongan, Semarang and Surakarta.
The local Regional General Elections Commissions (KPUD) will be officially open for candidate registrations from the end of July.
'We're still preparing electoral materials at the village level. At the end of July, we will open registrations for candidates,' Central Java KPUD head Joko Purnomo told The Jakarta Post.
Earlier, Joko said as many as six independent candidate pairs have passed administrative selection and met requirements to contest the simultaneous local leadership elections in Central Java.
The six qualified candidate pairs came from Rembang, Pekalongan, Magelang, Wonosobo, Boyolali and Klaten regencies.
