REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIONS TO REMAIN ACTIVE : MINISTER

Jakarta, March 17 (ANTARA) - Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto gave the assurance here on Monday that regional administrations would remain operating as usual although many officials would take a leave of absence for electoral campaigning.

He said he had so far issued permits for a leave of absence for 117 state officials including 11 provincial governors, seven deputy governors, district heads and mayors.
In case governors and vice governors take a leave of absence on same dates the regional secretaries would take over the administration temporarily.
"I have issued an order for it to regional secretaries so that there would be no vacuum of administration," he said.
He said he would not reject single application for a leave of absence because campaigning was their political right.
Mardiyanto said when governors or vice governors asked for a leave of absence he had always reminded them of the need to follow Government Regulation Number 14 of 2009 on campaigning procedures for state officials.
The minister said the possibility for state officials to use state faciltieis for their campaigning activity was small because they had all been aware of the rule about it.
"I think we need to trust them. They also talked with me when they asked for the permit. So communications between central and local administrations are maintained. I have also reminded them of the need to adhere to regulations," he said.
However the minister also hoped that the Bawaslu (election supervising agency) would help monitor the officials to prevent misuse of state facilities.
He also called on the public to monitor them to prevent power abuse. "The most important thing is social control. That is the best way for it," he said.