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An Acehnese man casts his ballot at a polling station outside of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
Photo Gallery >>> | BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Acehneses
begin to give their votes across the province on Monday aimed to directly choose
governor and 19 heads of regency and mayors, as an implementation of peace
accord between Jakarta and Aceh rebel in August 2005 in Helsinki, Finland to end
the three-decade bloodshed in the oil-and-gas rich province.
Over 2.6 million out of 4.2 million Acehnese came to
about 8,000 polling stations to support their favorite, Chairman of the Aceh
Independent Local Election Commission (KIP) M. Ja'afar said.
Among the governor candidates, two of them are from
military, two others are former rebels and the rest are government officials,
clerics and member of national political party.
The commission rules that the election will only go
to second round should all the candidate gain less than 25 percent of the total
vote.
The Indonesian parliament endorsed a land mark law
for Aceh province in July, paving the way for the provincial election and giving
the province greater autonomy and control over most of its oil and natural gas.
The GAM had struggled for an independent state since
1976, but then it ruled out its purpose of independence on the peace accord.
Over 15,000 people were killed in the conflict
between the government soldiers and Aceh rebel, most of them were civilians.
Aceh province was devastated by tsunami on Dec. 26 in
2004, left over 170,000 people dead or missing.
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An Acehnese woman casts her ballot at a polling station outside of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
Photo Gallery >>> |
Feature: Peace process in Indonesia's
Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The incomplete
reintegration in the restive province of Aceh, Indonesia, is testing its
sustainability of the long-awaited peace process, a local official said here
Sunday.
Head of Aceh Cultural Center Hasballah M. Saad said in an
interview with Xinhua that currently Acehnese have been divided into the
sentiments of pro-former rebel of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and
the Indonesian Armed Forces. Full Story
Hundreds of foreign observers to monitor poll in
Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of
foreign observers will watch the first-direct gubernatorial election in
Indonesia's Aceh province on Monday, the local election commission said here
Sunday.
Chairman of the Aceh Independent Local Election Commission
(KIP) M. Ja'afar told Xinhua that the observers are from at least seven
international and five local foundations. Full Story
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