PAN leaders say goodbye to their civil servant jobs<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nAmien Rais and secretary-general Faisal Basri are among the first
\npoliticians who have decided to abandon their posts in the
\nbureaucracy.<\/p>\n
Golkar deputy secretary-general Din Syamsudin is one of the
\nfirst to say goodbye to Golkar, in order to retain his position
\nat the Ministry of Manpower and to facilitate his becoming a
\nprofessor at a state college.<\/p>\n
The three are among many of the country's 4.1 million civil
\nservants who are also members of political parties. The enactment
\non Wednesday of Government Regulation No. 5\/1999 concerning the
\npolitical neutrality of the bureaucracy has meant that employees
\nof the state must choose whether to pursue a career as a
\nbureaucrat or a politician within the next three months.<\/p>\n
The regulation itself will soon be revised following harsh
\nprotest from the United Development Party (PPP) over its content.<\/p>\n
"I will resign from my position, as will Pak
\nAmien from the (Yogyakarta-based) Gadjah Mada University," Faisal
\nsaid on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Faisal is a lecturer of economics at the University of
\nIndonesia (UI), while Amien Rais is a professor at the School of
\nSocial Political Sciences at Gadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n
Amien, known for his criticism of former president Soeharto's
\nNew Order regime, has not yet officially received the title of
\nprofessor from the government.<\/p>\n
Faisal conceded his party would be considerably affected by
\nthe new policy as many of its members and executives are civil
\nservants.<\/p>\n
"Civil servants are already prepared to sacrifice (to either
\nabandon politics or the bureaucracy) so we also hope that the
\nArmed Forces (ABRI) members are also ready to make similar
\ndecisions," Faisal said.<\/p>\n
The regulation stipulates that civil servants who pursue
\npolitical activities will lose their posts in the bureaucracy but
\nretain their status and receive compensation which could last for
\nup to five years.<\/p>\n
In addition, the civil servants must report to their
\nrespective superiors their membership in political parties and
\ntheir political activities over the next three months.<\/p>\n
Those who fail to report will be dismissed.<\/p>\n
"General Wiranto must be aware that there are thousands of
\nABRI members in legislative councils from the House of
\nRepresentatives down to the regency level, while the military
\nonly has only 500,000 personnel," Faisal said.<\/p>\n
After fierce debates the House agreed on Wednesday to provide
\nABRI with 38 unelected seats in the 500-seat House. ABRI
\ncurrently receives 75 seats.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Din, who is the director-general for labor
\nplacement, said his decision to remain a civil servant was not
\nbecause he did not want to lose his position at the ministry.<\/p>\n
"In April I will have the right to apply to become a
\nprofessor," Antara quoted Din as saying.<\/p>\n
Din is currently a lecturer at the Jakarta State Institute of
\nIslamic Studies (IAIN).<\/p>\n
PAN will also lose at least one member, as an executive at its
\nPati branch, in Central Java, has informed the party that a civil
\nservant post promises greater security to him and his family than
\na political career.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said Golkar cadres had the
\nright to make up their minds within the next three months, about
\none month before the general election.<\/p>\n
"If they still want to maintain their positions as Golkar
\nexecutives they have to leave their positions in the civil
\nservice," Akbar said.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who is also minister\/state secretary, said that the
\nchief of the Civil Servants Administration Agency (BAKN),
\nSoenarko, would soon send a special circular to government
\noffices about the new policy.<\/p>\n
He hinted the new policy would not affect Golkar's
\npreparations for the elections on Jun. 7.<\/p>\n
"The attention of Golkar leadership is focused on preparing to
\nface the general election," he said.<\/p>\n
In Bali, 25 of 86 executive members of the provincial Golkar
\nexecutive board are civil servants. Its chairman, I. Gusti Ngurah
\nAlit Yudha, said most of the 25 members would not resign from
\neither their positions in the bureaucracy or Golkar.<\/p>\n
"Most of them will reach their retirement age," said Yudha.<\/p>\n
In Banda Aceh, Aceh province, the rector of IAIN Ar-Raniry
\nDarussalam Banda Aceh, Safwan Idris, announced his resignation as
\nthe provincial Golkar deputy chairman because he wanted to
\nconcentrate on his academic career.<\/p>\n
"My resignation from Golkar does not cause me any conflict,"
\nhe said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In Jambi, 41 of Golkar's 75-strong executive board are civil
\nservants, many of them lecturers at local state universities.<\/p>\n
"If they decide to leave Golkar it does not mean that they are
\nnot loyal," Golkar deputy chairman Ismail Tajudin said. (prb)<\/p>",
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