Batam threatens to fire 10 officials for party links
Batam threatens to fire 10 officials for party links
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau
The Batam Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) in Riau
province threatened on Tuesday to dismiss 10 officials should
they refuse to cut their ties with political parties contesting
the 2004 elections.
BIDA spokesman Dwi Djoko Wiwoho told The Jakarta Post that the
10 civil servants had been named legislative candidates by a few
parties.
The officials in question have been given until Dec. 29 to
resign from the parties and cancel their legislative nominations
in order to retain their jobs as civil servants, he said.
"If it is ignored, the Batam Industrial Development Authority
will officially issue a decision to honorably discharge them," he
added.
Under the Election Law, civil servants, including military
officers, are eligible to vote in the 2004 elections but are
banned from serving as executives and members of political
parties.
Wiwoho declined to name the 10 officials, but said they were
attached to Hang Nadim Airport, the security directorate and the
finance department, as well as other departments.
"We told them to choose whether to concentrate on their duties
as civil servants with the Batam Industrial Development Authority
or be active in politics," he said.
"If they remain active and stay with their parties, we will
have to dismiss them immediately because the move violates
prevailing regulations," the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, one of the 10 civil servants, Iskandar Zulkarnaen,
who works at Hang Nadim Airport, admitted that he received an
instruction from BIDA to quit from Golkar, where he serves as
deputy chairman of the Batam branch.
After deep consideration, he decided to quit Golkar.
"I must think of my future. If I continue to be active in
politics, it would be like gambling.
"Honestly speaking, to be active in politics without a clear
source of income would be dangerous. It could force me into
becoming a beggar. It would be better for me to be financially
established, and then join a political party," Iskandar told the
Post.
However, he admitted that despite resigning from Golkar he
would continue giving advice and input to the party.
Golkar used to be the political vehicle of former strongman
Soeharto, who remained in power for 32 years until 1998.
During his authoritarian rule, all civil servants, including
military and police officers, were obliged to vote for Golkar.