Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – An Acehnese woman is fighting to contest this year's direct gubernatorial election, saying the local poll body unfairly declared her unable to read the Koran.

Passing a Koranic reading test is one of the requirements for candidates to vie for the Dec. 11 gubernatorial election in Aceh, which applies Islamic sharia law.

Mediati Hafni Hanum, the only Acehnese female candidate, said the Independent Election Committee (KIP) announced that she had failed the test at Baiturrachman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh on Sept. 7.

"My teacher testified to my skills in reciting the Koran and during the test I did it well, but based on the results, I was declared failed," she said.

She rejected the results and sought support from Home Affairs Minister M. Ma'ruf to help settle the problem, while insisting she could read the Koran.

At a fast-breaking gathering Tuesday at Ma'ruf's office in Jakarta, Mediati, who is a Regional Representatives Council member from Aceh, demonstrated her Koran-reading abilities for the audience.

Mediati claimed the KIP's finding was a systematic move by the local political elite to prevent her from competing in the race.

"We are determined to press ahead with running for election because political support continues flowing from the Acehnese people," she said. Mediati's running mate is Ramidin Syukur.

Mediati said she could not sue the KIP immediately because she had not been delisted as a candidate yet.

The committee is scheduled to officially announce the gubernatorial candidates on Oct. 15. So far, nine pairs have registered with the committee to run.

Mediati said she had filed complaints with the coordinating minister for political, security and legal affairs and the coordinating minister for the people's welfare.

She said after the meeting with Ma'ruf, the minister called incumbent Aceh Governor Mustafa Abubakar and the KIP chairman to come to Jakarta to discuss the case.

Mediati quoted the minister as saying he would ask the governor to ensure a smooth run-up to the election and would ask the KIP to implement all electoral processes accordingly.

However, Home Affairs Ministry spokesman Andreas Tarwanto said the central government would not intervene in the selection of Aceh gubernatorial candidates.

"We would like to let the KIP handle the selection and settle all problems with the local government," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He denied the home affairs minister had summoned the Aceh governor and the KIP chairman to discuss the case.

Ahmad Farhan Hamid, a National Mandate Party (PAN) legislator from Aceh, said it was unfortunate that Mediati had publicly announced that she had failed the test.

"She should be patient until the KIP announces the results on Oct. 15. And all candidates should respect the formal requirements," he said, adding that it would be better for her to ask to re-take the test.

Farhan said he felt uneasy knowing that Mediati, as an Acehnese resident, had failed the test.