Bambang DH appointed new Surabaya mayor

Bambang DH appointed new Surabaya mayor

Ainur Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

East Java Governor Imam Utomo appointed Surabaya Deputy Mayor
Bambang DH as the city's new mayor at the Surabaya mayoralty on
Monday, ending the controversy surrounding January's dismissal of
Sunarto Sumoprawiro as mayor by the Surabaya legislative council.

The official appointment of Bambang, who is an executive of
the Surabaya office of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), was witnessed by PDI Perjuangan
executives, including Manggara Siahaan and Theo Syafe'i.
Bambang's term as mayor will last until 2005.

Governor Imam Utomo said on Monday that he hoped Bambang would
be able to govern firmly and adopt a serious approach in fighting
rampant corruption in Surabaya.

"Corruption in the city water agency (PDAM) and in Surabaya's
garbage management are among the many cases. It is my hope that
Pak Bambang will be able to make firm decisions in this matter,"
Imam told reporters.

He added that a reshuffle within the Surabaya mayoralty and
the Surabaya administration was due to take place, including the
replacement of the secretary to the mayor's office and about 169
officers in the subdistrict level of Surabaya.

The legislature had proposed that Sunarto be fired for his
three-month absence starting last October.

Many local residents aired grievances over Sunarto's
leadership as he had abandoned his duties when hundreds of tons
of garbage were left at temporary dump sites across the city
during October and November last year.

The mayor was in Melbourne for medical treatment when the
garbage problem occurred. He claimed to have asked for permission
to undergo treatment overseas.

The Surabaya legislative council voted on Jan. 15 to dismiss
Sunarto for, among other reasons, being absent for three months
from his duties due to medical reasons.

The same day, the council chose to appoint his deputy Bambang
DH as the new mayor. Some 31 out of 45 legislators who attended
the legislature's plenary session voted for Sunarto's dismissal,
while 12 opposed and two abstained.

Controversy surrounding January's dismissal of Sunarto
Sumoprawiro by the local legislative council did not die, even
after a special team investigating the case defended the decision
as legitimate in March.

The team said the move to dismiss the mayor for being absent
from three months for medical reasons was justifiable "legally,
politically and medically".

"Based on the results of field investigation and examination,
we conclude that the council's decision made through Decree No.
1/2002 is legally sound," team member Suwoto Mulyosudarmo had
said.

"The council used Law No. 22/1999 on regional governance, and
Bylaw No. 108/2000 on the accountability of a regional head (in
making the decision)," added the noted constitutional law expert.

The six-member team led by Soetandyo Wignyosubroto was
established by Governor Imam Utomo at the instruction of Minister
of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno to clarify the controversial
dismissal.

Hari rejected the dismissal, claiming legislative councils
could not dismiss governors, mayors or regents, although they are
permitted to do so under the Regional Autonomy Law. The minister
continued to recognize Sunarto as the Surabaya mayor and
instructed the governor to form an investigative team.

Members of the team, set up later in January, also included
political scientist Aribowo and health expert Abdul Syukur.

Most factions in the council were of the same opinion that
Sunarto was no longer fit to do his job because of ill health, as
stipulated in Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy.