75 new members of City Council installed

JAKARTA (JP): Seventy-five new members of the City Council were officially installed in a special plenary session yesterday.

All new members were sworn in by chief of the Jakarta High Court, Soegiarto, on behalf of Chief Justice Sarwata.

The session was attended by Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, on behalf of Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M., and other Jakarta high-ranking officials, including deputy governors and mayors.

A similar session was also held in the capital cities of the other 26 provinces throughout Indonesia.

Yogie urged the newly installed councilors in a written speech read by Surjadi to be ready to deal with any new problems and challenges, including openness and human rights issues.

Openness, he said, was mostly related to political and economic conditions. "In my opinion, openness should not only create the ability to compete, but also to cooperate," Yogie said.

In politics, there would be a demand to give people more of a chance to be involved in determining government policies, he said.

However, he said, there would be others who would want new ways of democracy, such as of the United States or European countries.

Democracy, he said, was not merely black and white. "Democracy is a process. So it's not true if someone says that we're not conducting democracy and there's a need to build democracy," Yogie said.

He also denied the opinion that local businessmen lacked independence. "How would they gain respect in the international world, if they were not independent?" he asked.

"It should be understood that the situation in Indonesia is not the same with other countries," he said. "There's no ideal form for our own economic or political conditions to follow," Yogie said.

Yogie also urged the new councilors to voice people's needs.

"With the ability to voice people's needs, the City Council and city officials will be able to create regulations that would be accepted by the public," Yogie said.

The new councilors, he said, should be able to conduct dialog with people, who voted for them, and represent them, as well as respect different people's opinions.

"However, there's no need to dramatize the various characteristics of democracy, such as different opinions, because it would only create more problems than solutions, or cause more disadvantages," Yogie said.

Out of the 75 newly installed councilors, 39 were from Golkar, 20 from the United Development Pary (PPP), one from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and 15 from the Armed Forces (ABRI).

PPP members installed for a second term included Djafar Badjeber, Chisbiyah Rochim, Saud Rachman and Helmy AR Syihab.

Only seven of Golkar's 39 councilors were former councilors. They were Ade Supriatna, Amarullah Asbah, Mrs. Silviana Murni, H.M.U. Fatomy Asaari, Ali Wongso H. Sinaga, Nasrul Armans, Saamin and Nitra Arsyad.

PDI is only represented by one member, Lukman F. Mokoginta, who is chairman of the party's city chapter.

Three of 15 councilors from ABRI were appointed for a second term. They were Col. Hotma Tambunan, Col. Suratto Siswodihardjo and Col. Sumekar Kartawijaya.

After the session, former council speaker M.H. Ritonga praised the cooperation between the council and the municipality and expected the cooperation would further expand in the future with the newly installed councilors.

The first plenary session held after the new members' installation was chaired by temporary council speakers W. Sriyono of Golkar, the oldest council member, and Ali Imron Husen of PPP, the youngest one.

New speaker

The new council speaker is scheduled to be selected in a plenary session on July 22 by the new members.

Yesterday, PPP, Golkar and PDI nominated Brig. Gen. Edy Waluyo of ABRI as a strong candidate for speaker.

Chairman of PPP's city branch, Rusydi Hamka, said after the session that the party strongly supported Edy's nomination. "Who would be better than him?" he asked.

"I think he'll be elected," Nitra Arsyad of Golkar said.

Edy, who was former ABRI chief for the Center of Personnel Supervision Department, was promoted from colonel to brigadier general last April. (ste)