United Madurese Movement rejects East Java gubernatorial re-election

Pamekasan, East Java (ANTARA News) - The United Madurese Movement (GMB) has rejected the regional General Election Commission (KPUD) here to carry out an East Java gubernatorial re-election in two districts.

GMB also rejected the local KPUD which will recalculate the results of the second round of the East Java gubernatorial election in Pamekasan as decided by the constitutional court (MK) on Tuesday (Dec 2, 2008), GMB coordinator, Ismail Marzuki said here Wednesday.

In addition, GMB believed that the recalculation may adversely affect security in Pamekasan, he said, adding that it would also cause a decline in people`s confidence in the implementation of democracy in Pamekasan.

MK on Tuesday (Dec 2) instructed the regional KPUD to conduct the gubernatorial re-election in two districts namely Bangkalan and Sampang and recalculate the vote count in Pamekasan district.
MK issued the instruction after it accepted part of Khofifah Indar Parawansa-Mudjiono pair`s objection to the recent vote counts by the East Java provincial KPUD.

The re-election in the two areas and repetition of the vote counts should be carried out within 60 days after the issuance of the MK decision on December 2, 2008.

In the results of vote counts made by the East Java KPUD, the Soekarwo-Saifullah Yusuf pair gained 7.7229.944 votes (50,20 percent), while Khofifah Indar Parawansa-Mudjiono pair got 7.669.721 votes (49,80 percent), in favour to the former.

Thus, based on the KPUD vote counts results, the first pair won the gubernatorial election.

However, provisional results of the quick counts of the second round of the East Java gubernatorial race, which was held on November 4, 2008, showed that the Khofifah Indar Parawansa-Mudjiono pair managed to collect 50.83 percent of the votes, while Soekarwo-Saifullah Yusuf pair got 49.17 percent.

Ismail, who also acted as chairman of the successful team said that his side has sibmitted a written objection to the re-election and re-calculation, to the regional KPUDs.

The first round of the gubernatorial race on July 23, 2008 was participated in by five pairs, comprising Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Mudjiono (supported by a coalition of 12 political parties), Sutjipto and Ridwan Hisjam (PDI-P), Soenarjo and Ali Maschan Moesa (Golkar Party), Achmady and Suhartono (PKB), and Soekarwo and Saifullah Yusuf (Democratic party and PAN).

Only two pairs, namely Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Mudjiono (Ka-ji), and Soekarwo and Saifullah Yusuf (Kar-sa), competed in the second race.

Khofifah was former minister for Women`s Empowerment, and Saifullah Yusuf was former minister for Accelerated Development of Disadvantaged Regions.

The winner in the East Java gubernatorial election will lead the province of 37.7 million people in the 2008-2013 term of office.