Ciamis regent demands subordinates' loyalty

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon

West Java Deputy Governor Moch. Husein Jachjasaputra regretted Ciamis Regent Oman Subarna's move asking all village and subdistrict heads in the regency to express their loyalty to him, saying it was not in line with the reform movement.

He said he did not know Oman's reasons for the move but would summon him to seek clarification on it.

"Oman's move is unjustifiable. And it is not necessary for him to ask subdistrict and village heads to sign official letters on their loyalty to Oman in his capacity as a regent because the village and subdistrict heads are assumed by the law to do so," he told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a meeting of regional administration secretaries here on Thursday.

Husein insisted that both village heads and subdistrict chiefs were allowed to have separate opinions in the administration because the difference of opinion was guaranteed by the law.

Oman ordered all village heads and subdistrict chiefs in the regency early this month to sign a letter of loyalty to him for unclear reasons. And no village heads and subdistrict chiefs ignored the order despite village heads' powerful position in the regional autonomy law.

According to the law issued in 1999, villages, locally known as nagari have their own authority to determine their own territory and village heads are allowed to make rulings for their own territory which are not to be intervened by regents.

A similar thing also happened early last month when South Kalimantan Governor Sjachriel Darham who was impeached by the provincial legislature in the middle of August, 2002, ordered all officials and staff in his office to express their loyalty to him.

Meanwhile, Oman was not available at his residence for comment on Thursday, but his aides said he was still in Jakarta for an official trip.

But, the secretary of the Ciamis regional administration, Irman B. Kusumah looked anxious when he was asked to comment on the loyalty letters.

He admitted that the regent gave the order to the village heads and subdistrict chiefs but he did not know whether the loyalty was sought for Oman in his personal capacity or in his status as regent.

"It is better for you to make a check with the village heads and subdistrict chiefs," he said.