Public urged to give input on next governor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta City Council urged the public
\nyesterday to give input to the selection of candidates for the
\nnext governor.<\/p>\n
Council speaker M.H. Ritonga said that Jakartans could propose
\ncandidates to the council through its factions or directly to
\nhim.<\/p>\n
\"We will wait for names of proposed candidates until June
\n20,\" Ritonga told a press conference.<\/p>\n
He said that any proposed candidate should meet all
\nrequirements set by the Ministry of Home Affairs before they
\ncould be nominated for governor of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"So far, no candidates have been proposed,\" Ritonga said. \"The
\nnumber of nominations should be, at the most, between three and
\nfive,\" he added.<\/p>\n
When asked whether the next governor should be from the Armed
\nForces (ABRI), he said, \"it doesn't matter if the next governor
\nis from the military or not, as long as he or she fulfills
\nrequirements.\"<\/p>\n
Ritonga said that public participation in selecting governor
\ncandidates was necessary due to the important role of the
\nprovincial leader. \"As provincial leader, the governor should be
\nsupported by his people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Before handing the candidate list to the President for
\napproval, the council will consult with the Minister of Home
\nAffairs, Ritonga said.<\/p>\n
In response to whether or not incumbent Governor Surjadi
\nSoedirdja could be re-elected, Ritonga did not reject such a
\npossibility.<\/p>\n
\"In my personal opinion, Governor Surjadi has the right to be
\nre-elected,\" Ritonga said.<\/p>\n
A 1974 government regulation stipulates that a governor may
\nserve a second five-year term.<\/p>\n
Surjadi, whose term of office ends Oct. 6, already filed a
\nletter of resignation to President Soeharto through Minister of
\nHome Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. in March.<\/p>\n
Basic requirements for Jakarta governor include, among other
\nthings, loyalty to both the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945
\nConstitution, loyalty to the country and the government and never
\nbeing directly or indirectly involved in activities which
\nendanger the country, Pancasila or the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
The candidates should also be dedicated persons, have good
\npersonality and leadership, be honest, intelligent, of good
\nintegrity, must be at least 35 years of age, have adequate
\nability and experience in administrative affairs and should be at
\nleast university graduates.<\/p>\n
Ritonga said that proposed candidates would be selected and
\nnominated by current City Council members, whose office terms end
\nJuly 18, and be continued by new council members, results of last
\nweek's general election.<\/p>\n
News reports had named several candidates, including Surjadi
\nhimself. Other candidates were Chief of Jakarta Military Command
\nMaj. Gen. Sutiyoso, and former chief of Jakarta Military Command
\nLt. Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono, the current Secretary of Development
\nOperations.<\/p>\n
When asked about the next council speaker, Ritonga said the
\nnew speaker would be elected by the new City Council.<\/p>\n
\"The candidates would be selected from the 75 new City Council
\nmembers and would not necessarily be from the Armed Forces
\n(ABRI),\" he said.<\/p>\n
In response to whether or not the new speaker would be Tadjus
\nSobirin, chairman of Golkar's city chapter, Ritonga just said
\nthat the speaker would be decided by the new council members.<\/p>\n
\"The choice of new speaker is not based on which contestant
\nwon this year's election,\" Ritonga said.<\/p>\n
In this year's election, the three contestants vied for 60 of
\n75 City Council seats. The remaining 15 seats were reserved for
\nABRI members who do not vote.<\/p>\n
Golkar now has 31 council seats, the United Development Party
\n(PPP) 15, the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) 14, and ABRI 15.
\n(ste)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/public-urged-to-give-input-on-next-governor-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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