44 manucipality councillors sworn in

JAKARTA: A total of 44 members of the new municipality/regency councils were sworn in during a ceremony at City Hall on Wednesday.

The event was presided over by the president of the Jakarta High Court, Ridwan Nasution, and was attended by administration officials and city councillors, including Governor Sutiyoso and City Council chairman Agung Imam Sumanto.

The members of the new bodies will serve five-year terms.

As the 44 members were selected by the city council, most of them are supporters of the political parties at the municipality/regency level.

Each member will receive a Rp 1.5 million (US$176.5) monthly stipend.

City Council deputy chairman Ibnu Sumantri admitted that the 44 local councillors would only have a consultative function at the municipality/regency level.

"Ideally, they should be elected directly by the people so that they would be more accountable," Ibnu said.

He said that the ongoing revision of Law No.34/1999 on the administration of the Jakarta Special Region, which is the legal basis of the establishment of the local councils, should also provide for the direct election of their members. -- JP