Angry businessmen attack Council over project tender

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of the city administration's business associates ran amok at the City Council on the day most people were celebrating Valentine's Day.

The angry businessmen stormed the ground floor of the council at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, shattering whatever they could find using iron bars, bamboo poles, stones and bricks.

They broke 15 big flower pots, three glass windows and pictures hanging on the corridor that separates councillors' rooms. Some of them also ransacked several rooms and overturned the tables inside.

A group of city councillors who happened to be at the ground floor were forced to dart into their rooms as the mob chased them.

The outnumbered civil defense officers on duty could not do anything to stop the enraged business people. Some officers managed to capture one of the attackers and beat him, but they abandoned the building after more protesters arrived seeking revenge.

At least six civil defense officers and two drivers of the city councillors were injured in the commotion. One of the drivers, Jefri, was admitted to Cikini Hospital due to injuries to his head and back.

Spokesman for the protesters, S.O. Marpaung, said the attack was sparked by the city councillors' failure to fulfill their promise to host a hearing with the council's speaker Edi Waluyo.

"City Council deputy speaker Djafar Badejeber has promised to meet us with Edi Waluyo, but they did not show up today. That's why we turned angry," Marpaung said.

Marpaung also blamed the civil defense officers for the violence.

"We were waiting for a meeting with the City Council speaker when one of the officers threatened me. This provoked my friends to attack those arrogant officers," said Marpaung.

"The guard told me that if any of his members were hurt, the officers would pick me up."

Raya Siahaan, head of City's Control Center for Social Disturbances denied the allegation.

"We never restrict anyone from protesting against the city administration policies. But they should have avoided violence in conveying their aspirations," said Raya.

He said he had reported the case to the city police.

The group had rallied several times at the city council to protest the new regulation requiring the business people to register themselves with the provincial Trade and Industry Chamber (Kadin) to bid for any project funded by the city budget.

In the past a project was offered in a tender held by the city administration.

Marpaung said that under the new scheme, a business would need to spend up to Rp 5 million (US$526) for a license to take part in a tender, 20 times higher than the old price.

The previous rally two week ago also turned violent, although to a far lesser degree, with the mob destroyed six big vases.

Wednesday's rally got off to a peaceful start, with protesters displaying banners and placards demanding the revocation of the new ruling.

"Give back the task of certification to the city administration and make it effective this year," one of the banners read.

Police were called to disperse the angry mob, but no arrests were made. (07/amd)