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Theindonesiatoday.com - Home affairs minister Gamawan Fauzi told the House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday January 12, 2012 that central government plans to postpone elections in Aceh, which initially scheduled for February 16, 2012.

Gamawan said that in a hearing between the House and government officers consisted of coordinating minister for politics, law and security affairs, home affairs minister, national intelligence agency (BIN) chief, general election commission (KPU) chairman, and election supervisory body (Panwaslu) chairman.

Gamawan claimed that he has discussed this issue with President SBY. Central government, according to the internal affairs minister, is preparing president decree or minister decree about the appointment of acting governor (Plt) of Aceh. Central government, he continued, has decided to reschedule Aceh governor election.

Gamawan therefore asked a legal umbrella and the new Qanun about the change of the election, that should be passed immediately.

The Deputy House Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso then asked the Constitutional Court (MK) to decide that Aceh elections can be postponed. Priyo, who is also head of Aceh desk of the House, said that MK’s wisdom is needed in this issue. “MK’s wisdom is needed to give decision in this issue.. Aceh is a special post-conflict region, where ordinary law can't be imposed upon,” Priyo argued.

Priyo, senior politician from Golkar Party, also asked the government to issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) regarding the election reschedule.

Comr.Gen. Sutarman, the detective chief at the national police, said in the hearing that the security condition in Aceh is basically conducive to hold an elections. National police, Sutarman continued, has deployed a special force from Densus 88 to secure the elections.

The incumbent governor Irwandi Yusuf, meanwhile, in his respond to the recent situation, accused his opponents behind the delay. He said to several lawmakes from the House Commission III such as Azis Syamsuddin, Nasir Jamil, Ahmad Yani, Bahrudin Nasori, and Martin Hutabarat in a meeting an his office in Banda Aceh Wednesday that some parties believe Aceh elections would be running smoothly only if he resign or die. “Is that what they want?” asked Irwandi.

The local elections will elect new Aceh governor and vice governor, regent/vice regent, and mayor/vice mayor in seventeen regencies of Aceh as scheduled before will be held on February 16, 2012. While the terms of Irwandi Yusuf and Muhammad Nazar as current governor and vice governor of Aceh will be over on February 8, 2012.

There are now four pair candidates of governor and vice governor plus 115 pair candidates of regent and vice regent participated in the elections. The four pair candidates of governor and vice governor are incumbent candidate Irwandi Yusuf, who is pairing with Muhyan Yunan as vice governor candidate, Muhammad Nazar-Nova Iriansyah pair, Darni M Daud-Ahmad Fauzi pair, and Ahmad Tajuddin-Teuku Suriansyah pair. (haryanto@theindonesiatoday.com)