44 manucipality councillors sworn in

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