Enduring Sutiyoso<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) voted to endorse the
\nleadership of Governor Sutiyoso on Friday, even though many of
\nits members had a variety of reservations about his performance
\nin 2001. Residents of Jakarta are thus condemned to endure life
\nunder Sutiyoso's governorship, with all its shortcomings and ugly
\nconsequences, at least for a few more months.<\/p>\n
The Council has the power to replace Sutiyoso before his term
\nends if it deems that he is not performing to expectations. The
\nprocess of requiring the governor to submit an annual report to
\nthe Council is intended to ensure that whoever heads the city
\nadministration is held accountable for his action, or inaction.<\/p>\n
Sadly, the Council appears to be reluctant to exercise this
\ndemocratic option. The major factions in the Council virtually
\nignored public sentiment about Sutiyoso's failings, and accepted
\nhis annual report, albeit after a vote.<\/p>\n
Jakarta residents have plenty of reason to gripe about
\nSutiyoso this past year because the city was virtually heading
\ntoward total breakdown. Traffic congestion is getting worse,
\npublic services are deteriorating, widespread corruption in the
\nadministration is not dealt with, the air and rivers have become
\nmore polluted, garbage was left uncollected for weeks, the crime
\nrate is soaring and many others things, enough to suggest that
\nsomething must be done quickly.<\/p>\n
Replacing the governor is certainly the way forward because he
\nhas failed the residents. He bears the responsibility for many of
\nJakarta's illnesses.<\/p>\n
It is therefore disturbing to learn that the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the largest
\nfaction in the Council, endorsed Sutiyoso's speech even while
\nhaving reservations, on the grounds that he had only a few more
\nmonths in office before the governorship election in October.<\/p>\n
That is tantamount to saying that Jakarta residents can endure
\n-- \"suffer\" is perhaps a better term -- a few more months of
\nSutiyoso's incompetence. Jakartans have suffered enough, and so
\nmuch could happen between now and October that it is simply
\nunthinkable that PDI Perjuangan was willing to risk it.<\/p>\n
Bizarre perhaps, but not entirely surprising. After all, we
\nlive in a country where almost anything is possible, especially
\nwhen it comes to the question of national leadership.<\/p>\n
This is a country where the House of Representatives speaker
\nroams free and leads the institution while he faces graft
\ncharges. This is a country where the central bank governor is a
\nconvicted felon, but is still dictating the direction of
\nIndonesia's monetary policy. Why shouldn't Sutiyoso, with all his
\nincompetence and poor track record, be allowed to continue to
\ngovern this city of nine million to 12 million people?<\/p>\n
Jakarta, with all its complex problems, deserves a much better
\ngovernor. Members of the Jakarta Legislative Council, who are now
\nsuggesting that residents are prepared to settle for something
\nless, are betraying the trust vested in them by the public.<\/p>\n
At times, it looks suspiciously conspiratorial that Sutiyoso
\nhas been able to remain in office this long, even if he, in the
\neyes of many Council members, was failing in his job. The Council
\nhas had more than one occasion to put Sutiyoso on the spot. It
\nhas taken the trouble to look into his failings and raise them
\nwith the public, only to let him off the hook ultimately.<\/p>\n
The same thing happened in the way the Council deliberated the
\ngovernor's speech accounting for his 2001 performance. After
\nraising a storm about his performance, the Council endorsed his
\nspeech of accountability and let him keep his job. If there was
\nindeed collusion between the governor and the Council, God forbid
\nwhat will happen in the October governorship election.<\/p>\n
Whatever the real story behind Friday's endorsement of
\nSutiyoso's speech, this episode has strengthened the argument for
\na direct election system in choosing the governor. The existing
\nindirect system, by which the City Legislative Council conducts
\nthe nomination and election process, is vulnerable to collusion.<\/p>\n
A direct election system will ensure greater accountability on
\nthe part of the elected governor to the people, and that, if he
\nfails in his job, the voters will have a chance to oust him. It
\nleaves little room for second- or even third-rate leaders to hold
\nsuch an important job that affects our lives. Besides, we just
\ncannot trust our politicians any more to do the right thing when
\nit comes to electing the governor.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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