'Becak' drivers withdraw support for PDI-P

'Becak' drivers withdraw support for PDI-P

JAKARTA (JP): More than 200 becak (pedicab) drivers handed
over on Wednesday several Indonesia Democratic Party for Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) attributes at the party's headquarters to
demonstrate that they had withdrawn their support for the party.

However, none of PDI Perjuangan's members met with the pedicab
drivers as they were either attending a meeting at the City
Council or House of Representatives (DPR), said Ario Bimo,
administrative head of PDI Perjuangan's headquarters.

Jukimin Suseno, leader of the Daya Manunggal pedicab drivers'
union, read out a statement before Ario, "We are very grateful to
PDI Perjuangan for fobbing us off with promise after promise."

Jukimin said the becak drivers came to hand over PDI
Perjuangan membership cards, flags and T-shirts since the party
failed to keep its promise, made during the 1999 general election
campaign, to defend their interests.

He claimed that instead of protecting the common people, PDI
Perjuangan was protecting the city governor and city councillors,
who he said had failed to accommodate the aspirations of pedicab
drivers.

"PDI Perjuangan has broken its promise and forgotten its power
base as a political party. To us PDI Perjuangan is dead," Jukimin
said, adding that Megawati can only rule this country with the
support of the common people.

The drivers, who are members of four pedicab drivers' unions
in Jakarta, staged a rally at the parking lot of the PDI
Perjuangan's headquarters on Jl. Pecenongan, Central Jakarta.

The drivers sang the national anthem Indonesia Raya and orated
mostly on their poverty and how they were being "colonized" by
the city administration.

After Jukimin read the statement, the drivers handed over
their PDI Perjuangan attributes to Ario and two clerks.

The rally ended peacefully.

However, Jukimin said after the rally that the becak drivers
would support PDI Perjuangan again if the party helped them solve
their problems.

The drivers had twice asked PDI Perjuangan to help them fight
against raids by the city administration. The raids have angered
the drivers and sparked riots in several parts of the city
recently.

Ario said he had no idea why the pedicab drivers returned
their PDI Perjuangan attributes. "Our members have been
discussing their problems in the City Council," he remarked.

After the rally, Jukimin and nine other drivers went to the
City Council on Jl. Kebon Sirih to hold a meeting with the
councillors.

Jukimin urged the City Council to revoke Bylaw No. 11/1988 on
public order, which bans the operation of pedicabs on the city's
streets, and discuss the problem with Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.

Deputy chairman of the City Council Tarmidi Subardjo, said he
could not guarantee that the raids on pedicabs would stop and
that he could only urge the administration to do so.

"However, you (becak drivers) should remember that you had
violated the city bylaw," he said, citing Bylaw No 11/1988.

The meeting ended with a promise from the councillors that
they would discuss the pedicab drivers' problems with Sutiyoso
next week.

Separately, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa
Wea held a one hour meeting with the Urban Poor Consortium and
some 60 becak drivers and street car washers.

"I will personally go to Governor Sutiyoso to seek a solution
to this matter. Hopefully, there will be a solution to this,"
Jacob was quoted as saying by Antara.

Jacob urged becak drivers and street car washers not to hold
any demonstrations for a week and the administration not take
repressive actions in its attempt to rid the capital of becak and
street car washing activities.

He offered several alternatives, including channeling pedicab
drivers and street car washers to scrap iron processing companies
or other businesses in Greater Jakarta.

He also proposed that pedicabs be improved by equipping them
with engines as had been done in North Sumatra and Aceh, and to
allow the pedicabs to operate on the city's main streets at
certain hours only.

"So, the becak must not be eradicated from the capital," he
said.(04)