Bambang, Basuki hint reconciliation

Bambang, Basuki hint reconciliation

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Surabaya Mayor Bambang Dwi Hartono and city council speaker
Mohammad Basuki have met for the first time since the council
decided to dismiss Bambang early last month for his failure to
appear and present his revised accountability report for the 2001
fiscal year.

Bambang and Basuki met face to face on Thursday at a ceremony
to mark the opening of the Surabaya branch of private television
channel SCTV, which invited the two officials who are both
members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan).

SCTV seized on the moment, asking Bambang and Basuki to
comment on their strained relationship.

"There is nothing personal between me and Pak Basuki. If the
media currently report friction between us, it's just part of our
dynamic relationship," Bambang was quoted by Antara as saying.

Basuki replied: "I agree with Pak Bambang. Our relationship is
still okay and we hope it will last forever."

The previous reconciliatory meeting sponsored by East Java
Governor Imam Utomo failed to settle the rift as most councillors
invited did not turn up.

Earlier in the day, Basuki said he would lead several
councillors to a meeting with Minister of Home Affairs Hari
Sabarno in Jakarta on Friday to discuss Bambang's legal status.

The visit relates to the approval of the city's revised budget
draft, which needs the mayor's signature by law.

The council has been split over the matter, with some
councillors insisting that Bambang remains the legitimate
representative of the city administration despite the council's
vote of non-confidence.

Hari has said that the central government, which according to
the law is authorized to appoint and remove local chief
executives, still recognized Bambang as the incumbent mayor.

Claiming that Jakarta should not intervene in regional matters
following the implementation of regional autonomy, Hari said he
would leave the dispute with the East Java governor.

Basuki said the councillors would also present a detailed
report of Bambang's removal. Also on the agenda was discussion of
a plan to set up an independent team to probe the case, the
second in six months after the dismissal of former mayor Sunarto
Sumoprawiro in January.

The government has suggested changes to several articles of
Law No. 25/1999 on regional autonomy, which requires the local
administration to present an annual progress report before the
council. The ruling has been blamed for triggering a rift between
the executive and legislative institutions.

Meanwhile, some 100 PDI Perjuangan activists rallied in front
of the city council building on Jl Yos Sudarso to demand Basuki's
resignation.

They said Basuki did not deserve the speakership post because
he had been fired as chief of the party's Surabaya branch.

Basuki cold-shouldered the protest. "Rallying is a recognized
practice in a democratic country, as long as it does not turn
violent."