HASAN TIRO CALLS FOR CLEAN GOVERNANCE IN ACEH

Banda Aceh, Oct. 18 (ANTARA) - Hasan Tiro, former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) top-leader, has urged the Aceh administration's legislators and executives to implement clean governance and the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

"Hasan Tiro has urged the executives and legislators to implement clean governance as mandated by the people, and they should not be involved in corruption," Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf said when accompanying Hasan Tiro's return to Banda Aceh, Saturday.

Governor Irwandi Yusuf promised he would follow Tiro's advice.

Tiro arrived in Aceh from Kuala Lumpur and was accompanied by former GAM leaders such as Malik Mahmud and Zaini Abdullah.

Yusuf hoped the visit of Hasan Tiro would help strengthen the peace in Aceh.

He also hoped that Hasan Tiro could be installed as Nanggroe Representative in the post peace era when a regional regulation on that matter could be adopted soon.

Hundreds of people welcomed Hasan Tiro on his arrival in Banda Aceh on Saturday.

Hundreds of people had been gathering at the house since morning. Special passes had been issued by the committee for entering the area including for newsmen.

Hasan Tiro arrived in a white Mazda, driven by Muzakir Manaf, who picked him up at the Sultan Iskandar Muda airport. He flew in aboard a Firefly plane from Kuala Lumpur.

Hasan Tiro is now a Swedish national and his visit to Aceh was the second since the signing of Helsinki MOU.