Ousted Lampung speaker promises to fight back<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
The fight between two executives of the Lampung branch of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) has kept
\nthe provincial legislative council held hostage as both still
\nclaim to be its legitimate speaker.<\/p>\n
Sri Atidah, ousted by her fellow councillors as council
\nspeaker a year ago, will be replaced by fellow PDI Perjuangan
\npolitician, Abbas Hadisunyoto, on Tuesday based on Ministerial
\nDecree No. 161.27-400\/2000.<\/p>\n
However, Atidah, the de facto speaker, vowed on Saturday to
\ndefend her position and not to hand it over to Abbas until a
\ncourt decision was handed down.<\/p>\n
Atidah filed a lawsuit with the State Administrative Court in
\nJakarta last Thursday, demanding the home minister drop the
\ndecree.<\/p>\n
\"We demand the minister cancel his plan to declare Abbas the
\nnew council speaker because the legal process is still ongoing,\"
\nAtidah's lawyer Safruddin Husin said.<\/p>\n
Atidah was ousted during a plenary session in August last year
\nfor incompetence, with the majority of councillors voting against
\nher.<\/p>\n
The councillors then appointed Abbas to replace her. Abbas was
\nthen chairman of the PDI Perjuangan faction in the council.<\/p>\n
The decision created a dual leadership in the legislature,
\nwith Atidah still chairing all council meetings.<\/p>\n
Atidah and her supporters claim that her dismissal was
\nspearheaded by Lampung Governor Oemarsono, who is seeking his
\nreelection for a second term.<\/p>\n
They said the governor did not want her as the council speaker
\nas she would pose a threat to his reelection efforts.<\/p>\n
They said that Oemarsono had the backing of Abbas' supporters
\nto unseat Atidah and had lobbied in Jakarta, paying hundreds of
\nmillions of rupiah in bribes, to get the ministerial decree.<\/p>\n
\"Abbas has received Rp 400 million (US$44,000) from Oemarsono.
\nHe bombarded the Ministry of Home Affairs after he had the
\nfinancial backup,\" Atidah said.<\/p>\n
The dispute between the two also involves their supporters.<\/p>\n
Atidah's supporters warned that they would mobilize thousands
\nof people to reject the decree if the home minister proceeded
\nwith his plan to appoint Abbas on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Last Wednesday, hundreds of Atidah's supporters clashed with
\nBandarlampung Police personnel in the council building when the
\nprotesters tried to chase Abbas.<\/p>\n
Atidah warned that if the government imposed its decision on
\nthe Lampung Legislative Council, the fight would be prolonged and
\nthis would delay the gubernatorial election.<\/p>\n
However, Abbas played down the threat, saying that the
\ngubernatorial election would be in his hands as the new council
\nspeaker.<\/p>\n
\"It is the council speaker's right to be chairman of the
\ngubernatorial election committee. But we will just wait for the
\ndecree. Atidah has no right to be the committee' chairperson,\"
\nAbbas said.<\/p>\n
He warned that all PDI Perjuangan faction members would walk
\nout of meetings regarding the gubernatorial election if Atidah
\nwas committee' chairperson.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, legislative council deputy speaker Azib Zanim said
\nthat the election had nothing to do with Atidah's lawsuit.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing is the decree has been released and
\nthere is no further discussion about who is the council speaker,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ousted-lampung-speaker-promises-to-fight-back-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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