29 NGOs demand Sutiyoso's dismissal

29 NGOs demand Sutiyoso's dismissal

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A total of 29 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and dozens
of flood victims urged the City Council on Tuesday to dismiss
Governor Sutiyoso for his failure to control flooding in the
city.

"Sutiyoso should be dismissed," chairwoman of the Urban Poor
Consortium Wardah Hafidz told three councillors who met them in
the council's building on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta.

Besides Wardah, other activists included Tini Hadad and
Zoemrotin K. Susilo from the Indonesian Consumers Foundation
(YLKI), and Teten Masduki from the Indonesian Corruption Watch
(ICW).

Women activist Nursjahbani Kacasungkana, city chapter chairman
of the Indonesian Forum for the Environmental (Walhi) Ahmad
Syafruddin and Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto from the Jakarta Legal Aid
Institute also joined the protest.

The NGOs also demanded a direct election by residents for
public officials, including the city governor, councillors and
mayor.

They demanded that the administration and the council be
legally responsible for corruption related to flood projects.

The central government and the city administration should make
a serious effort to help flood victims and improve the state of
the city's infrastructure after the floods, they urged.

However, the meeting was, as usual, disappointing as the
councillors only responded by saying that they would convey their
demands to the council's leaders.

Councillor Supangat of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle expressed anger over a statement from one of the
activists who accused the councillors of "having no brains".

"I'm very insulted that you accused us of 'having no brains'.
We are human beings, like you," said Supangat, a member of the
council's Commission E for social welfare affairs.

During the meeting, the activists took an empty drawer from
the councillors' desks to demonstrate that the councillors had no
idea of handling flooding.

Councillor Posman Siahaan said the council needed time to
evaluate Sutiyoso's performance.