Chaos mars inauguration of Manado councillors

Jongker Rumthe, Manado

The inauguration on Monday of Manado municipal councillors elected on April 5 turned into a verbal dispute following an unexpected move to boycott the ceremony by departing councillors and the Manado General Elections Commission (KPU).

The confusion began at 10 a.m., just as the new councillors were to be sworn in.

Manado Council secretary Dotulong had stepped up to the podium to read a North Sulawesi gubernatorial decree legalizing the new councillors' appointment, when departing councillor Alexander Katuuk prevented Dotulong from speaking.

Instead, Alexander read a letter from the Manado KPU stating that the inauguration by the North Sulawesi provincial administration was illegal. He was supported by other members of the 1999-2004 council, who had come to protest the ceremony.

A shouting match erupted between the two groups of councillors, and security and police personnel were called in to calm the situation.

After Alexander and other departing councillors were escorted from the venue, the ceremony proceeded and the 40 new councillors were sworn-in by Manado District Court president Juliana Wullur.

However, the dispute arose anew when Manado KPU chairman Dolfie Angkow condemned the inauguration ceremony as illegal.

"We regret the ceremony. In inaugurating the councillors, the council secretary and the provincial government have robbed us of our authority," said Dolfie, adding that he would take the matter to court.

Dolfie said under Law No. 12 on legislative elections, the municipal KPU had the authority to plan, hold and legalize the legislative election, including the inauguration of new councillors -- not the provincial government or the Manado Council.

He said the Manado KPU had established a team to plan and hold an inauguration ceremony on Aug. 13, but Monday's ceremony had undermined the plan. Dolfie also lashed out at the North Sulawesi gubernatorial decree, which neither acknowledged nor mentioned the role of the Manado KPU in inaugurating councillors-elect.

Meanwhile, the North Sulawesi provincial KPU chairman, Donald Rumokoy, backed Dolfie's statement, saying that Dotulong and North Sulawesi Governor AJ Sondakh had to be taken to court for breaching the Legislative Elections Law.