Thousands protest huge fund used for council inauguration<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post\/Medan<\/p>\n
Thousands of people staged a noisy rally here on Tuesday as the
\nnew North Sumatra legislative council was inaugurated, with two
\nof its 85 members missing the swearing-in ceremony due to legal
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
The protesters, from various organizations grouped under the
\nAnticorruption Civil Society (Masak), opposed the alleged
\ncorruption of funds used for the inauguration of the councillors,
\nwho were elected in the April 5 legislative election.<\/p>\n
The rally became frenzied as protesters briefly detained
\nseveral councillors and pressured them to sign a political
\ncontract, under which they committed to refrain from corrupt
\npractices.<\/p>\n
However, hundreds of police officers who were guarding the
\nceremony dispersed the demonstrators.<\/p>\n
Masak coordinator Iswansyah lashed out at the police for the
\nway in which they had disbanded the protesters.<\/p>\n
He said the protesters had asked the new councillors to sign
\nthe contract as there had been indications of alleged corruption
\nin the use of funds from North Sumatra's budget for the
\ninauguration ceremony.<\/p>\n
Iswansyah, quoting information from the council's secretariat,
\nsaid at least Rp 150 million (US$16,660) from this year's budget
\nhad been spent on the event.<\/p>\n
However, data from the committee shows that the ceremony cost
\na total of Rp 179,631,300, he said, adding that the money did not
\ninclude the funds allotted to procure uniforms for the 83
\ncouncillors, which cost Rp 7 million each.<\/p>\n
\"How will they (the newly sworn in councillors) be able to
\nstruggle for public interests, when, from the beginning, they are
\nnot clean?\" Iswansyah asked.<\/p>\n
\"This action is to warn the council against easily embezzling
\npeople's funds,\" he told The Jakarta Post during the protest
\noutside the council building on Jl. Imam Bonjol, here.<\/p>\n
Council secretary Nurdin Lubis admitted that some Rp 22.5
\nmillion of the 150 million had been used to procure uniforms for
\nthe chairperson and secretary of the ceremony committee and nine
\nother senior committee members.<\/p>\n
The procurement of 129 national black caps for the councillors
\nand committee members cost Rp 16,125,000 and the purchase of 129
\npairs of black shoes of the Bucheri brand cost more than Rp
\n77,400,000, he added.<\/p>\n
Nurdin declined to specify the funds allocated to provide
\nuniforms for the 83 new councillors. But a council member said
\nthat it would cost up to Rp 7 million per person.<\/p>\n
The 83 councillors for the 2004-2009 period were sworn in by
\nthe head of the North Sumatra high prosecutor's office. The
\ninauguration of the other two elected members was postponed
\nindefinitely.<\/p>\n
The two -- Azwir Sofyan of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nand Maria Sitompul of the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) -- are
\nfacing legal problems for allegedly providing fake school
\ndiplomas.<\/p>\n
They were excluded from the decree issued recently by Minister
\nof Home Affairs Hari Sabarno to install the new council of North
\nSumatra.<\/p>",
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