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."