Draft for setting up subdistrict councils approved<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After holding a series of meetings and making
\nsignificant revisions in the past few weeks, the City Council
\npassed the draft on the establishment of subdistrict councils
\nduring a plenary session on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Attended by Governor Sutiyoso, the session -- chaired by
\nCouncil Speaker Edy Waluyo -- approved the draft, making it a
\ncity bylaw. The councilors expressed hope the new subdistrict
\ncouncils would help establish a transparent, democratic and
\npeople-oriented administration at the subdistrict level.<\/p>\n
\"We have to pass the bill soon because people urgently need
\nsuch councils,\" councillor Pantas Nainggolan, secretary of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction,
\ntold The Jakarta Post following the session.<\/p>\n
The draft, proposed by the city administration in January,
\noriginally faced stiff opposition from councillors of PDI
\nPerjuangan and the United Development Party (PPP), who argued
\nthat the draft could not be enacted unless Article 27 of Law No.
\n34\/1999 on the Jakarta administration was revised.<\/p>\n
According to the councillors from the two parties, the article
\nstates that subdistrict councilors are to be elected directly by
\nheads of the respective community units, or RWs.<\/p>\n
After making several changes to the draft, including the
\nrequirement that candidates for the subdistrict councils be
\nelected through a meeting attended by at least two-third of the
\nheads of families of neighborhood units, or RTs, members from the
\ntwo factions, along with their counterparts from the other nine
\nfactions in the Council, agreed to pass the draft.<\/p>\n
\"The revised draft lays out democratic rules for recruiting
\nmembers for the subdistrict councils,\" PPP councillor Muhamad
\nBanang said, reading the final remarks of his faction during the
\nplenary session.<\/p>\n
The idea to establish subdistrict councils in Jakarta was
\nfirst proposed earlier this year. However, the plan was put on
\nhold for \"technical reasons\".<\/p>\n
The subdistrict councils, according to the enacted bylaw, will
\nconsist of executive boards and members who are senior members of
\ntheir respective RTs, but not heads or organization members of
\nRWs and RTs.<\/p>\n
Subdistrict council members will only be allowed to serve two
\nconsecutive five-year terms.<\/p>\n
The number of members of the subdistrict councils will be
\nequal to the number of RWs in the respective subdistricts.<\/p>\n
Jakarta, with a population of some 12 million people, has five
\nmayoralties, 43 districts, 265 subdistricts, 2,612 RWs and 29,314
\nRTs.<\/p>\n
Article 12 of the approved bylaw stipulates that the duties of
\nthe subdistrict council members will include channeling the
\naspirations of local residents, submitting suggestions and ideas
\nto subdistrict heads, informing the people about government and
\nsubdistrict policies and naming subdistrict candidates for the
\nCity Council.<\/p>\n
The money to pay the members and fund the operations of the
\nsubdistrict councils will come from the City Budget, with the
\napproval of the governor.<\/p>\n
None of the city councillors or Governor Sutiyoso could give
\nan estimate as to how much money would be spent by the city for
\nthe subdistrict councils.<\/p>\n
\"But one thing is clear, their salaries will not be under the
\nUMR,\" Sutiyoso said, referring to the government-set minimum wage
\nfor workers in Jakarta, which is less then Rp 200,000 per month.
\n(bsr\/44)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/draft-for-setting-up-subdistrict-councils-approved-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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