City councilors ready to leave after poll

City councilors ready to leave after poll

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors from the three factions said
Monday that they are ready to relinquish their posts if they are
not successful in the upcoming general election.

Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post, some of the
councilors acknowledged that termination of their council terms
would be a "tough" outcome.

Others insisted that the issue was of little consequence.

All councilors however, confirmed they had made detailed
preparations for their futures, emphasizing income generation
opportunities available and other retirement plans.

Member of the United Development Party (PPP) faction Azwar
Abbas said that not all city councilors would find it easy when
they relinquished their term of office.

"However, we should realize that we may leave the position at
any time... being a councilor is not a lifetime job.

That's why since the beginning (of my tenure) I've prepared
myself should I be elected for one term only."

PPP together with the Golkar grouping and the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) were the only parties to contest previous
elections.

In line with the massive and diverse wave of reforms, the
government has greatly expanded the number of parties contesting
the upcoming general election.

As reported earlier, over 100 political parties, possessing a
variety of agendas, have registered at the Ministry of Justice
for participation in the June election.

Presupposing a smoothly run and fair election, many of the
current city councilors will not be reelected.

Councilor Sumekar, head of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, a
group which reserved special status within the country's
political system, insisted that failure in the election would not
be problematic for its faction members.

"We'll be automatically assigned to ABRI headquarters."

Under a new law, the number of ABRI positions will be slashed
to only 10 percent of the total seats on the council. Currently,
it has 15 ABRI members and 60 members within the three parties.

Golkar's Nazar Amir, who is also a TV star and an executive of
Muara FM radio station, shared Sumekar's view.

"My income as an actor and as a radio station executive is
more than my income as a city councilor."

Nazar said that he recently signed a contract for a role in a
new TV series for which he will earn Rp 13 million a week.

The situation for councilors who depended solely on their
income from the council was, of course, very different.

Hizbiyah Rochim of PPP said that the pension allowance was
insufficient.

"The monthly amount -- less than 10 percent of the honorarium
-- is too small."

In anticipation of the greatly reduced income, many of her
colleagues were seeking alternative employment, she added.

Acknowledging that his chances for reelection were reduced,
Azwar said he had contacted old friends to explore business
opportunities in the building construction arena, a field he had
left since his appointment to the council.

"Since I left the business, my family's income totally depends
on my earnings from the council."

As a councilor he received a monthly honorarium worth Rp 3.5
million plus bonuses for attendance at meetings, a sum he
declined to divulge.

"My wife and children are also planning to open a
telecommunication service kiosk," he added. (ind)