Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – While the prolonged deliberation of the bill on Yogyakarta's special status (RUUK) at the House of Representatives is expected to come to an end by the middle of the year, pro-election groups that previously kept a low public profile are becoming more vocal.
These groups want to see the next governor and deputy governor of Yogyakarta democratically elected, in contrast to pro-appointment groups, which aim to continue the automatic appointment of the Sultan of Yogyakarta and the King of the Pakualaman principality as governor and deputy governor, respectively, out of respect for local traditions.
"Yogyakarta is part of the democratic NKRI (United Republic of Indonesia), so its governor and deputy governor must also be elected democratically," coordinator of pro-election group Pagar Betis (The Association of United Yogyakarta People for Democracy), M Ulin El Nuha, told The Jakarta Post Tuesday.
The group openly staged a peaceful rally around the Bunderan UGM traffic circle on Sunday. Some 500 people participated in the event under the theme "Preparedness rally for the NKRI, Yogya remains special without appointment". Yogya is the popular nickname of Yogyakarta.
Separately, the coordinator of the pro-appointment group, The Assistance Team for Yogyakarta RUUK, Achiel Suyanto, asked why the pro-election groups had only emerged now and not during the previous support stage for the RUUK. "There must be some group that coordinates them. I have found indications, but still do not have enough evidence," Achiel said.
He expressed his hope that the emergence of pro-election groups would not trigger conflict in the province, and suggested the groups take their aspirations to the House where deliberations over the RUUK had been going on.
Meanwhile, the director of Gadjah Mada University's Center for Peace and Security Studies (PSKP), Mohtar Masoed, said that the RUUK Yogyakarta was a political matter.
In politics, he said, people could not have everything they wanted. There should be compromise between the pro-election and pro-appointment groups. "Mass media can act as a mediating actor for the problem," he said.