Chaos mars inauguration of Manado councillors

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.