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| Southeast Asia |
| Legislative candidate commits suicide, two others enter mental institution |
| 2009-04-15 |
| [Jakarta Post] legislative candidate from West Javan town of Banjar was found dead allegedly after committing suicide by hanging Tuesday morning, kompas.com reported. Sri Hayati, 23, of the National Awakening Party (PKB), was found dead at a hut in the middle of a rice field just seven kilometers away from her inlaws after she was reported missing for two days. Hayati, who was five months pregnant, was thought to have committed suicide after securing marginal votes during the legislative elections on April 9. According to Lankaplancar police officer Adung, Hayati went missing Sunday evening. Adung said Hayati's husband, Mastur Maulana Yusuf, went to look for her and filed a missing persons report at the police office Monday evening. No signs of violance or injuries were found on the body when she was discovered by a tree sapper on Tuesday morning, leading the police to suggest that Hayati's death was connected to her failed candidacy for the regional council. Hayati was said to have secured a mere 10 votes within the Banjar I constituency, which included Banjar and Purwaharja. PKB Banjar representative Zaenal Muttaqien, however, denies police allegation. "There was no pressure. Hayati was just a party supporter, she wasn't a party functionalist or member of the party's steering committee. She was only added to the party's list of candidates in order to fulfill the 30 percent quota for women," Muttaqien argued. Meanwhile in Central Kalimantan's Palangka Raya, two legislative candidates and three political party supporters were admitted into the Kalawa Atei Assylum (BKJM) on Tuesday. According to BKJM chief Wineini Marhaeni Rubay, one of the legislative candidate arrived on April 10 suffering severe mental distress and had received emergency treatment prior to being transferred to the Joint Adulam Ministry Foundation mental hospital. Two other legislative candidates displayed signs of similar stress and have been undergoing intensive treatment, she added. "The legislative candidate who suffered severe mental distress was said to have acted strange after the election, he declined to shower, eat, and would keep laughing everytime he saw the vote tally of his party," Rubay said while declining to mention the name and political party he belonged to. |
| Posted by:Fred |