Mayor's disappearance puzzles legislators<\/p>\n
Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya<\/p>\n
The disappearance of Surabaya mayor Soenarto Sumoprawiro is
\ncontinuing to puzzle municipality officials and legislators, who
\nheld a meeting on Tuesday to seek clarification as to his
\nwhereabouts.<\/p>\n
The meeting ended without any firm decisions been taken over
\nthe municipality's mounting problems, including garbage disposal.<\/p>\n
\"This is a very serious problem which could spoil the
\nmunicipal administration's performance. How could a mayor go
\nmissing without anyone knowing where he is, while the mayoralty
\nhas a plethora of unresolved problems which need prompt handling.
\nAs the speaker of the municipal legislative council, I'm
\nembarrassed to say that I have not been informed about the
\nmayor's whereabouts. What would happen if the public were to
\nrally at the legislative council demanding us to reveal where the
\nmayor is?\" said M. Basuki, the speaker of Surabaya municipal
\nlegislative council.<\/p>\n
Mayor Soenarto disappeared two weeks ago. He apparently failed
\nto tell his staff and legislators where he was going.<\/p>\n
Officials known to be close to him have remained tight-lipped,
\nwhile East Java's Governor Imam Utomo said he knew nothing about
\nSoenarto's disappearance<\/p>\n
\"I don't know where he is exactly. I've heard that he had been
\nseeking medical treatment,\" said Imam, without revealing what
\nkind of illness the mayor might be suffering from.<\/p>\n
Rumors have it that Soenarto is now in Australia on a visit to
\none of his grandchildren. Other unconfirmed reports have said,
\nhowever, that he has been hospitalized in Australia for kidney
\nfailure.<\/p>\n
A source told The Jakarta Post that Soenarto had been
\nsuffering from kidney problems for the last two years. \"He had
\nhemodialysis weekly at his official residence,\" the source said,
\nadding that Soenarto had kept his illness secret from his family.<\/p>\n
Municipal Secretary M. Yasin told councillors at the meeting
\non Tuesday that the mayor had joined delegates from the
\nAssociation of Indonesian Municipalities on an official trip to
\nGermany, Thailand and the U.S.<\/p>\n
\"They left three weeks ago after the permits from the Minister
\nof Home Affairs were issued on Sept. 16. He (Soenarto) then
\ncontinued the trip to Singapore and Australia. Before leaving, he
\ntold me that he had not had a general checkup for one year,\"
\nYasin said.<\/p>\n
Basuki rejected Yasin's explanation as Yasin had failed to
\nshow the legislators a copy of the home affairs' minister's
\napproval.<\/p>\n
Yasin claimed that Soenarto could not be contacted abroad on
\nhis cellular phone when a legislator asked him to do so.<\/p>\n
The legislators' disappointment over Soenarto's mysterious
\nabsence is compounded by the fact that there are many problems
\nfacing the city that need to be dealt with promptly.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, deputy mayor Bambang DH is presently in Jakarta
\ntaking a course at the National Resilience Institute.<\/p>\n
The most crucial problem now being faced by the municipality
\nis the question of garbage disposal as the city dump in Sukolilo
\nhas been closed by locals in protest against the municipality's
\nfailure to build a community health center for the residential
\nareas surrounding the dump.<\/p>\n
The municipality has also failed to install street lighting in
\nthe area as promised.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mayors-disappearance-puzzles-legislators-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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