"We cannot expect too much from the central government to settle the problem. What is needed now is the willingness of current governor Irwandi Yusuf and the Aceh Party to make peace," Azyumardi Azra, the former rector of Syarif Hidayatullah Indonesia Islam University, said here on Monday.
He said if the conflict was not settled immediately it was the people of Aceh who wish for peaceful regional elections on February 16 that would be hurt.
In the past month several people who happened to be of Javanese origin had been shot dead by unknown armed men. Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Djoko Suyanto said on January 10 that the incidents were linked to the regional elections.
The incidents prompted many workers from Java to leave Aceh since January 13.
"I believe the guns used by the unidentified gunmen were part of the former GAM arsenal that have not been handed to the military (TNI) and the police. Whoever the perpetrators are it will be the people who will suffer due to conflict among the elite," he said.
Asyumardi said the long history of violent conflicts in Aceh during the New Order government had more or less made the regional elections problem not to protract.
Local political observer Teuku Kemal Fasya meanwhile said the conflict emerged after the Constitutional Court ruled to allow independent candidates to run in the elections.
The ruling made current governor Irwandi Yusuf to run for his re-election through individual nomination after he was not named by Aceh Party as a candidate.
The Aceh party who controls the regional legislative assembly canceled its registration as a participant due to the ruling.
The home affairs minister has asked the Constitutional Court to re-open the registration in connection with the conflict.(*)
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Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
