Poll ruling gives president free hand<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Although future regional administration leaders, including
\ngovernors, mayors and regents are to be directly elected by the
\npeople, the President will retain his influence over their fate
\nin office.<\/p>\n
According to the recently introduced government regulation on
\ndirect regional administration elections, any move by local
\ncouncillors to impeach poor performing regional leaders would
\nrequire the approval of the President.<\/p>\n
The President can also temporarily suspend the administration
\nleader without the approval of local councilors if the leader
\nconcerned has been implicated in a criminal case that carries a
\nminimum sentence of five years' imprisonment. This arrangement
\ndoes not differ from the one that is presently in place.<\/p>\n
Various regions in the country will hold elections in June of
\nthis year to select new governors, regents and mayors, as some
\n226 regional administration leaders will end their terms soon.
\nThe new election system is aimed at helping promote democracy in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
According to Article 123 of the regulation, local councillors
\nmust propose any planned impeachment against an administration
\nleader to the President, who, upon hearing the considerations of
\nthe Supreme Court, must make a decision within 30 days.<\/p>\n
Among the reasons that could prompt local councillors to
\nimpeach a regional administration leader are, if the leader
\nbreaches their oath of office, or if they fail to perform their
\nduty for six consecutive months.<\/p>\n
A proposal to impeach a leader could only be put to the
\nPresident in a plenary meeting of the local legislative council,
\nattended by at least three fourths of local council members, two
\nthirds of whom would need to support the proposal.<\/p>\n
Local councillors in this era of regional autonomy have taken
\nto directly dismissing poor performing local administration
\nleaders.<\/p>\n
One prominent case was the move in 2002 by councillors in
\nSurabaya, East Java to impeach the city's then mayor Sunarto
\nPrawiro for his prolonged, unexplained absence in office.<\/p>\n
On behalf of the central government, then minister of home
\naffairs Hari Sabarno defended Sunarto, but finally bowed to the
\ncouncillors' demand and installed Bambang D.H., who at the time
\nwas Sunarto's deputy as his successor and backed by a leading
\npolitical party.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened a two-day
\nworking meeting of regional administration leaders from across
\nthe country on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In his speech at the State Palace, the President urged
\ncandidates running for regional administration posts to refrain
\nfrom involvement in money politics.<\/p>\n
Susilo emphasized to the governors, provincial police chiefs,
\nprosecutor's office heads and provincial military commanders
\npresent that election candidates must be ready to lose with
\nhonor.<\/p>\n
"When I was a vice presidential candidate in the 2001
\nelection, and I lost, I quickly called a press conference to
\nannounce my defeat, although I had many reasons to complain about
\nthe election process," he said.<\/p>\n
The President also asked the candidates to discourage violent
\nbehavior among their supporters during the campaign period.<\/p>",
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