City budget approved despite PDI-P walkout
JAKARTA (JP): Despite the walkout of 19 councilors from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, the City Council approved on Saturday the Rp 7.49 trillion (US$788.42 million) city budget proposal for 2001.
The decision was accepted by members from seven factions, while two others -- the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Justice Party (PK) -- said they agreed but under certain circumstances.
Of the 30-strong PDI Perjuangan faction, only 19 attended the plenary session, and unfortunately walked out of the meeting. They all refused to sign the absentee list.
After the plenary was declared open, PDI Perjuangan representative Binsar Tambunan and faction chairman Audi I.Z. Tambunan, said their faction demanded that the meeting be delayed.
They said discussions on many issues had yet to be completed given the short time available from Nov. 29, when Governor Sutiyoso unveiled the proposed budget, to Dec. 30.
The other councilors said other factions managed the deadline, and that PDI Perjuangan should follow the council rules on requesting a schedule change of council events.
According to the rules, at least 10 councilors who represent more than one faction are allowed to make such a request, which must reach the Council Speaker with the latest date being three days before a scheduled event.
Binsar then said, "We are not responsible nor bind to follow any decision taken in the meeting. But we will review the approval of the city budget and acknowledge our decision soon."
There are currently 84 councilors from the 11 factions. PDI Perjuangan is the largest faction, followed by the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).
PDI Perjuangan faction chairman Audi said of their request to postpone the meeting, "We are talking about trillions of rupiah in people's money here. The approval (of the proposed city budget) is being forced. There are some items (in the draft) which still need to be reviewed".
A rally on Dec. 18 among others by the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC), demanded changes in the proposed budget and brought more public attention to the city budget. Protesters said that too much of the funds were allotted to high ranking civil servants when compared to Jakarta's poor.
Audi cited the routine expenditure, approved Saturday at Rp 4.98 trillion, was still too large compared to the money for the development expenditure which amounted to Rp 2.51 trillion.
The changes
The figure of Rp 4.98 trillion had been changed from the proposed Rp 5.02 trillion for routine expenditure, such as for the salaries of 120,000 city bureaucrats.
The proposed development expenditure was originally Rp 2.47 trillion.
UPC coordinator Wardah Hafidz, an observer at Saturday's session, told reporters that the council's decision was made only in the interest of the council members.
"The council has chosen bad timing to approve an important decision like the draft city budget, which has failed to reflect people's needs. They should have rejected the proposal," she said. Most people are now on holiday and not much public attention is being paid to the budget, she added.
Wardah added that UPC is discussing the possibility of bringing the matter to court with other non governmental organizations.
Audi said his faction had already sent letters, the latest on Dec. 22, to request a delay of the meeting to Jan. 8, but the request was turned down.
The plenary session had already been delayed from Dec. 22 to Dec. 30, to give more time for councilors to discuss the proposed budget. Audi said the council rules should be reviewed to make it more accommodative to changes.
Another councilor of PAN said, "It would be too hard to get at least 10 members from 11 factions to request a changed schedule date of a meeting." (07)