Former separatist wins governorship in Indonesian province of Aceh

The results of the December 11 poll, officially confirmed last week, gave the posts of governor and deputy governor to Irwandi Yusuf and his running mate Mohammad Nazar. Yusuf and Nazar received 38 percent of the vote—well above the 25 percent threshold needed to win in the first round. The team decisively defeated their nearest rivals—Ahmad Humam Hamid and Hasbi Abdullah—who were chosen by the older, exile GAM leadership based in Sweden. Hamid and Abdullah received 16.7 percent of the vote.

Yusuf, who trained in veterinary science, was GAM’s military spokesman in Aceh. Nazar has been prominent in the campaign for a referendum to decide on Acehnese independence. Their last minute decision to run reflected widespread disaffection among former GAM fighters with the exile leadership. Hamid and Abdullah, regarded as more moderate, also had the backing of conservative Islamic Jakarta-based party—the United Development Party (PPP).

While painted as a radical by the media, Yusuf quickly made clear he would abide by the terms of the agreement struck in Helsinki in August 2005 between the Indonesian government and GAM leaders. Under the deal, GAM agreed to a ceasefire, pledged to disarm its fighters and formally renounced its demand for an independent Aceh. In return, Jakarta withdrew 20,000 of the 50,000 troops stationed in the province, agreed to elections and made vaguely worded promises on provincial autonomy.

More
http://wsws.org/articles/2007/jan2007/aceh-j04.shtml