Past political compromises bring misery to councillors<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
The mounting problems plaguing members of the Yogyakarta
\nprovincial legislative council, including alleged graft, are the
\nprice of political compromises they made in the past, a top
\ncouncillor says.<\/p>\n
"This is the consequence of deals we made in the past to share
\npower and position among ourselves. What we failed to foresee was
\nthat we would pay dearly for them," deputy speaker Nur Ahmad
\nAffandi said.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the countless problems beleaguering the
\nprovincial legislature, which climaxed in a letter from the
\nMinistry of Home Affairs Inspectorate General to the Yogyakarta
\ngovernor last month that questioned the Rp 6 billion (US$714,000)
\nthat had been allocated as allowance for Yogyakarta legislators.<\/p>\n
In the letter, the inspectorate general said the misuse of the
\nfund violated Government Regulation No. 110\/2000 on financial
\naffairs of regional legislature, as the fund was not part of the
\nprovincial budget.<\/p>\n
Eventually, the governor decided to stop paying the
\nallowances, which amounted to two-thirds of the councillors'
\nmonthly net salaries. Each councillor took home Rp 6.2 million.<\/p>\n
Later, the provincial prosecutors' office named six of the
\ncouncillors as suspects for allegedly misusing the funds, even
\nthough all 45 legislature members had received allowances.<\/p>\n
Political moves followed, with a group of councillors from
\nvarious factions filing a motion of no confidence against the
\nlegislative speaker and his five deputies on the ground that they
\nwere incompetent. The councillors recently changed their demand
\nand asked the legislative leaders to improve their performance.<\/p>\n
"As one of the council leaders, I myself feel there has been a
\nlack of coordination and an unclear division of labor within the
\nlegislature, which has resulted in our poor performance," Achmad
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Unlike other provinces, leaders of the Yogyakarta legislature
\ndo not hold ex-officio positions heading the council's three
\ncommittees on program and planning, internal affairs and
\nbudgetary affairs.<\/p>\n
Achmad said the situation had contributed to the sub-standard
\nperformance of the legislature, and that the problems facing the
\nlegislature mostly dealt with the council's work mechanism and
\ndraft bylaws deliberated in the three committees.<\/p>\n
He blamed the unfavorable working system on political deals
\namong the factions to distribute power and posts in order to
\nmaintain equity.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he suggested that the structure of the legislature
\nbe revamped to put an end to a disruption in its working
\nmechanism.<\/p>\n
"In this case, we have to amend the internal ruling," said
\nAchmad, adding that it would not be difficult to realize if all
\nfactions had the good will to do so.<\/p>",
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