Erwida Maulia – Lampung Governor Sjachroedin Z.P. installed the new head of the Mesuji district and his graft convict deputy in a ceremony at a local penitentiary on Friday.

The new Mesuji district head, Khamamik, and his deputy, Ismail Ishak, elected in September of last year, were inaugurated at the Bawanglatak penitentiary in the Lampung town of Tulang Bawang.

The Justice and Human Rights Ministry would not allow the ceremony to be held outside of prison, according to Home Affairs Ministry spokesman Reydonnyzar Moenek.

"The Home Affairs Minister decree on the appointment and installment of Mesuji district head Khamamik and his deputy Ismail Ishak was issued on Dec. 20," Reydonnyzar told The Jakarta Globe over the phone on Friday. "After a long and complicated process, however, the ceremony can only be held today."

Reydonnyzar said upon the installment, the ministry would soon issue an instruction for the governor to discharge Ismail from his new position. He said the ceremony should still have taken place because the ministry could only discharge officials already holding a position.

"He [Ismail] was only a deputy district head candidate before the installment. Now that he has been installed, we can soon discharge him," Reydonnyzar said. He quoted a 2005 government regulation saying convicts could not serve as regional heads.

Ismail was sentenced to one year in jail in November of last year because he was proven guilty of embezzling state funds in 2006 while serving as a member of the Tulangbawang Council.