The Portrait of Political Temperature in Aceh

Approaching the Regional Election to elect the Governor and Vice Governor, the People of the  Province of Aceh are also preparing toparticipate in the National Agenda to elect the   Governor  and Vice  Governor of 2017-2022.  As the democratic process the voting is expectedly to be done on February 2017 as the moment of the People of Aceh to give their choice. According to this process, the Independent Committee for the Election of Aceh has started to work to prepare the implementation of the Regional Election since April 2016.
 
The Independent Committee for the Regional Election of Aceh has completely consolidated its Organization such as the establishment of the Ad hoc Committee  which will implement the election, it has been going to work since  April 2016.

The further  agenda of the Independent Committee will be the registration of the Candidates of the Governor and the Candidates of the Vice Governor  followed by the operational activities of the Election such as the campaigning and the Voting as the main Agenda of the Election.

Since May 2016 the political temperature in the Province of Aceh has indicated to start becoming warmer. A number of regional figures appeared declaring their intention to become the Candidates of the Governor in the coming Regional Election. The names of the regional figures intending to become the Candidates of the Governors on May 2016 started becoming the topic of discussion among the society of Aceh.

On May 2016 the first name rose was Irwandi Yusuf the former Governor of Aceh in 2007-2012 as the independent candidate, the next was Muzakir Manaf the present Vice Governor of Aceh as the candidate of the Governor of Aceh supported by the Aceh Political Party. Muzakir Manaf is the Chairman of the Aceh Political Party. The Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) is reported to declare to support Muzakir Manaf as the Candidate of the Governor of Aceh. Further it was said  that Zakaria Saman the former Minister of Defense of GAM was also indicating his intention to join the Regional Election as the Candidate of the Governor as the independent Candidate.
 
Surprisingly, Zaini Abdullah, the present Governor of Aceh (2012-2017) decided to join as the Candidate of the Governor as the Independent Candidate and since June 2016 he indicated seriously to join the race. Zaini Abdulah is said to widraw from the Aceh Political Party as the condition of someone who wants to join the Regional Election as the candidate of the Governor.

Muzakir Manaf, Zakaria Saman, Zaini Abdullah as the former leaders of GAM they are also the leaders of the Aceh Political Party. Muzakir Manaf is the Chairman of Aceh Political Party, while Zakaria Saman and Zaini Abdullah are the member of the Advisory Council of the Aceh Political Party. Zakaria Saman and Zaini Abdullah will not support Muzakir Manaf instead he declared his decision to become the Candidate of the Governor as the Independent Candidate. Irwandi Yusuf was also the former political activist member of GAM, but he was not active in the organization of GAM. He was active to support GAM in the society during the period of the military conflict.

The Chance of Tarmizi A Karim

Beside those former leaders of GAM espially Muzakir Manaf, Zain Abdullah, Zakaria Saman and Irwandi Yusuf, one government official, namely Tarmizi A Karim, now he is the Inspector General of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and before he was the  Acting Governor of Aceh and once he was also the Acting of Chief of District of the Northern Aceh has also the intention to nominate himself as the Candidate of the Governor in the coming Regional Election. Of the National Political Party, namely the National Mandate Party (PAN), Ahmad Farhan Hamid,the former Vice Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly is also said that he will be appointed as the Candidate of the Governor as the representative of PAN.

Those names who are said to be the Candidate of the Governor in the Regional Election of 2017 have become the topic of discussion now among the societies in various meetings and gatherings. So far not any conclusion could be made who will be the possible winner of the Regional Election because there are a number of uncertain factors will committing to the vote.

Clearly the rise of the names of the Candidates for the Governors are considered politically important because the Province of Aceh really needs a qualified leader to lead the bureaucracy of the Province of Aceh.

Until recently the Independent Committee for the General Election has not yet opened the registration of the names of the Candidate of Governors and the Candidate of Vice Governors of The Province of Aceh.

The Independent Committee for the Election of the Province of Aceh said the registration for the Candidate of Governors and the Vice Governors will be done in August 2016.
 
The number of the citizens of the Province of Aceh are 5.101.673 so one Independent Candidate of the Governor has to be supported by at least 3 % of the population or 153.045 citizens. The number of the members of the House of Representative are 81 seats  One Candidate of Governor as the Political Party Candidate has to be supported by one Political Party or Coalition Party with at least 13 seats in the House of The Representative.

However a number of the Political Parties un-officially have leaked the names of their candidates for the Regional Election to the media and a number of Independent Candidates have declared their candidacy.

Since May 2016 it was totally there have been eight names for the Candidates of the Governors  un-officially leaked to the public. Those eight names are Zaini Abdulah the present Governor as independent Candidate, Muzakir Manaf the present Vice Governor  supported by Political Party of Aceh, The Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) has also officially supported Muzakir Manaf as the Candidate of the Governor of Aceh, Irwandi Yusuf the former Governor of Aceh of 2007-2017 as independent Candidate, Zakaria Saman the former Defense Minister of GAM as the independent Candidate, Tarmizi A Karim Director General on The Village Administation of the Home Affairs Ministry as independent candidate, Ahmad Farhan Hamid former Vice Chairman of the Peoples Consultative Assembly as independent Candidate, TM Nurlif former members of the House of Representative as the Candidate of the Golkar Party and Abdulah Puteh the former Governorof Aceh of 2002-2007 as independent candidate.
 
Some observers analyzed that in the Regional Election of 2017 of Aceh the Candidates of the Governors who were the former members of GAM are still likely considered as popular political figures within the society. GAM is generally considered as strong and firm organization and the leaders of GAM are considered as potential leader to lead Aceh democratically.

However until June 2016 two names of the eight Candidates for the Governors, namely Muzakair Manaf and Zaini Abdullah were the only names indicated as active Candidate for the Governor to perform their candidacies.

In according to the rule  it was said Zaini Abdullah on June 2016 has withdrew from the Aceh Political Party and said he will returm to the Aceh Political Party if he is elected as the Governor, because this Party was created based on his idea. How ever now he criticizes the Aceh Political Party performence is different to the principles of its foundation. His comment criticizing the condition of the Aceh Political Party is considered as the critique against Muzakir Manaf who is the Chairman of the Aceh Political Party today and concurrently also his rival in the Regional Election.

Meanwhile the decision of Muzakir Manaf to choose  T.A Khalid of Gerindra Party as his Vice Governor has been apparently opposed by various political leaders of the Aceh Political Party. However Muzakir Manaf tends to go on with his decision to choose T.A. Khalid as  the Candidate of his Vice Governor
Other the  national political parties (such as Nasdem, Gokar Party, PDI-P. PKB, PPP, HANURA and the Democratic Party) are still silent not any comment to be made concerning the names of the candidates  of the Governor and its Vice Governor.

*) The writer is a former BAKIN chief.