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.