Bitung councillor asked to resign

Bitung councillor asked to resign

BITUNG, North Sulawesi: More than 200 residents of Bitung municipality staged a demonstration here on Friday, demanding that the chairman of the local legislative council, Jantje Takasihaeng, step down.

The demonstrators, supporting Mayor Milton Kansil, said Jantje and his deputies must step down because they often abandoned their duties here to make trips to Jakarta for reasons which were unclear.

Mokhtar Parapaga, coordinator of the demonstrators, said the legislative council's image had been badly damaged. The council had yet to deliberate 18 bylaws and its leadership had plotted to oust the mayor.

Elly Hamber, chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, acknowledged the demonstrators' demand and said she would bring the issues to the attention of the legislative council in the next session.