By Khairul Saleh
Source : The Jakarta Post
The South Sumatra General Elections Commission (KPUD) on Thursday named Alex Noerdin, backed by the Golkar Party, as the winner of the province's gubernatorial election.
The KPUD's decision to declare Alex and his running mate Eddy Yusuf the winners was based on the recapitulation of vote counts from election commissions in regencies and municipalities across the province in a KPUD plenary session in Palembang.
Alex and Eddy, popularly known as ALDY, took 1,866,390 votes (51.40 percent), edging out the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDIP) Syahrial Oesman and his running mate TV host Helmy Yahya (SOHE), who took 1,764,373 votes (48.60 percent).
The KPUD's decision mirrored the results of quick counts conducted two survey institutes, the Indonesian Survey Circle and Public Issue Network and the Indonesian Survey Institute, conducted immediately after polling on September 4.
Commenting on his victory, Alex, the former regent of Musi Banyuasin, thanked his constituents for their support in this first ever direct gubernatorial election in the province.
"I will not implement certain programs. I will expedite all the programs we prepared earlier," Alex said.
ALDY's victory was the first major one for Golkar, following the party's defeats in West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali, South Sulawesi and North Sumatra.
The victory was even more politically meaningful because it took place in the home province of Taufik Kiemas, the husband of PDI-P chairwoman and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.
The result defied earlier predictions that incumbent governor Syahrial, considered to have more access capital, would win.
But Alex, who successfully implemented popular programs in Musi Banyuasin, including free education and healthcare, proved more appealing to voters.
Alex, who was also nominated by the National Mandate Party, the Crescent Star Party, the Democratic Party and the National Freedom Bull Party, said he would resign if he failed to implement a free education program in his first year as governor.
The fierce competition between the two candidates was evident in the results of votes in Palembang and Banyuasin, which accounted for 40 percent of total votes. SOHE held a slight lead in Palembang, while ALDY triumphed in Banyuasin.
ALDY's victory was determined by the regencies of Empat Lawang, Pagaralam, Lahat (Alex's hometown) and Musi Banyuasin. In the latter regency, ALDY secured a whopping 200,147 votes to SOHE's 54,261.
Over the past two days, thousands of SOHE supporters have held protests in front of the KPUD office, demanding the commission conduct a reelection in Musi Banyuasin. The supporters allege there was possible voter fraud in the regency in favor of ALDY.
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