Big bonus for outgoing East Java councilors

Big bonus for outgoing East Java councilors

SURABAYA (JP): All 100 East Java provincial councilors ended
their five-year term yesterday with lucrative bonuses from the
local administration.

The legislative body's former chairman, Trimarjono, said that
each councilor would receive a 70-square-meter house built on a
400-square-meter plot in Surabaya's neighboring town of Sidoarjo,
plus Rp 70 million (US$29,200) in cash.

The bonuses, paid out of the province's current budget, are
expected to be presented next month. This practice has applied to
councilors in the past.

"This is a token of the local government's appreciation of the
councilors' cooperation in the past five years. Besides,
councilors earn nothing after retirement," said Trimarjono.

The bonuses will be awarded to 47 councilors from Golkar, 20
from the United development Party (PPP), 13 from the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) and 20 from the Armed Forces.

Trimarjono relinquished his chairmanship of the legislative
body yesterday during an induction ceremony for new councilors,
presided by East Java High Court chief Gede Sidharta.

In the country's 27 provinces, 1,419 councilors started their
terms yesterday to mark the end of the provincial general
election process.

Five hundred people will be inducted as legislators in the
House of Representatives on Oct. 1. Their term will expire in
2002.

East Java's legislative council saw 62 new faces and a
different composition in the factions' representation.

Golkar maintains its firm grip over the council with 50
representatives, while the PPP has 27 councilors, the PDI has
three and the Armed Forces has 20.

The PDI, demoralized by its abysmal defeat in the May 29
election, has new blood in the council with the entry of
legislator Dimmy Haryanto, who opted to stay at home instead of
rejoining the House in Jakarta.

Dimmy's decision has paved the way for fellow East Java PDI
member, Budi Hardjono, to win another five-year term in the
House. Dimmy topped the list of PDI legislative candidates from
East Java, while Budi was fourth.

The party managed to gain two House seats from East Java, but
Budi looks certain to make a return to the House after the number
two candidate, Latief Pudjosakti, died last April on the Haj
pilgrimage in Mecca.

In Medan, North Sumatra, PDI executives Buttu Hutapea and
Panangian Siregar attended the induction of 54 members of the
provincial legislative council as outgoing councilors.

Panangian, the party's deputy chairman and North Sumatra
chapter chief, will line up in the PDI's tiny team of 11 in the
House. His former secretary, Buttu, was elected the party's
secretary-general following a breakaway, government-backed party
congress last year.

Buttu was one seat shy of joining Panangian in the House. He
was third on the list of PDI legislative candidates from the
province where the party won only two House seats.

The dominant party, Golkar, has 34 councilors, the PPP six,
the PDI three and the Armed Forces 11 on the North Sumatra
legislative council for the 1997-2002 term.

In the Central Java capital of Semarang, Governor Soewardi
called on 100 newly inducted councilors yesterday to remain
critical of the provincial government's policies.

"All councilors must be more outspoken, but they must back up
their arguments with evidence. Outspoken criticism should also be
raised in the interest of national unity," Soewardi said.

He suggested that councilors make more trips to remote areas
to hear complaints from the people they represent.

The new council comprises 54 members from Golkar, 24 from the
PPP, two from the PDI and 20 from the Armed Forces.

The induction of 45 members of the East Timor legislative
council in Dili proceeded in the absence of two of the council's
outgoing deputy chairpersons. Maria Quintao and Samuel Petrusz
were absent without explanation. (21/33/har/nur/amd)