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Manado to hold Pilkada in February despite legal problems
The Manado General Elections Commission (KPUD) has set Manadoâs mayoral election (Pilkada) for Feb
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he Manado General Elections Commission (KPUD) has set Manado's mayoral election (Pilkada) for Feb. 17 this year, disqualifying a candidate pair earlier nominated by the Golkar Party and National Mandate Party (PAN). Jimmy Rimba Rogi and his running mate Bobby Daud have been disqualified due to Jimmy's earlier conviction for graft.
KPUD head Yusuf Wowor said on Monday his commission had met with three other pairs who expressed their readiness to run in the Pilkada.
'We are currently focusing on carrying out the Pilkada and submitting a proposal for the election budget. We have proposed Rp 8.5 billion (US$629,000) from the Manado municipality for the purpose. We have also submitted an attachment of the Supreme Court's decision regarding the appeal that it has granted,' said Yusuf.
Earlier, the KPUD annulled Jimmy's candidacy for mayor because Jimmy was declared guilty in 2009 of embezzling Rp 68.8 billion from the city's budget.
Jimmy then filed a lawsuit at the Administrative High Court, which then in turn ordered a postponement of the Manado Pilkada, originally scheduled for Dec. 9, last year, along with other regions in the country.
KPUD then appealed the court's decision to the Supreme Court, which recently ruled in favor of the KPUD.
However, even though the schedule for the new election has already been agreed to by the new candidates, Manado's Sam Ratulangi University's (Unsrat) Social and Political Science School lecturer Ferry Daud Liando said the newly scheduled Pilkada had the potential to trigger legal issues, arguing that it lacked a strong legal basis.
'On a legal basis, it's too risky just to refer to the Supreme Court's ruling,' Ferry said on Monday.
Ferry argued that based on Electoral Law No. 8/2015, the election could not be implemented in 2016.
'Article 201 of the law stipulates that the Manado Pilkada should be held in 2015, not 2016. There is no precedent in the Electoral Law that says that in the event of legal proceedings at the Supreme Court, an election could be postponed to 2016,' said Ferry, head of Unsrat Post-graduate Studies.
Furthermore, Ferry said the Manado municipal council and municipality should first approve the electoral budget. 'KPUD's decision to set the election for Feb. 17, 2016 is too hasty and disregards a number of crucial stakeholders involved in the electoral process,' said Ferry.
He added the KPUD should not solely determine the date. 'Is the municipal council involved? Is the municipality involved? Management of funds should be in the hands of the municipality and city council. Before setting the election date, they should have been consulted,' said Ferry.
Separately, Manado deputy mayoral candidate Mor Dominus Bastiaan said he was ready to contest the election. 'After the KPUD determined the election date, we obviously accepted it and we're ready to fight,' Mor, who was nominated by the Democratic Party, said on Saturday.
Jemmy Asiku, another deputy mayoral candidate, supported by the Gerindra and Hanura parties, also expressed similar sentiments. 'The KPUD has determined the election schedule. So, we're just waiting for voting day,' said Asiku, a successful entrepreneur in Manado running alongside Harley Mangindaan.
Manado mayoral candidate Hanny Joost Pajouw, who was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and NasDem parties, also expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming contest.
'We're ready whenever the Pilkada is held,' said Hanny, who is contesting the election with Gregorius Tonny Rawung.
