City Council's position hindered by 1974 law

City Council's position hindered by 1974 law

JAKARTA (JP): When 5.7 million Jakartans go to the polls today
they may hardly have a clue who will represent them on the City
Council. A proportional election system in which people vote for
a party instead of certain people renders councilors rather
unpopular.

Analysts say a main obstacle of the council achieving a
stronger position in the municipality is a clause in a 1974 law
on regional administration, that the council is a "partner" with
the governor.

A three-time councilor, Mansyur Ahmad of the ruling Golkar
faction, summed up the tricky consequence of being a partner:
"It is key for a councilor to understand his position -- that he
bridges people with the municipality."

A council member, said Mansyur, who headed Commission D in
charge of development affairs for seven years, must strive to
ensure that people's interests are not harmed "while city
development programs are not held back either".

The inevitable compromise might be one reason why people flock
to the National Commission for Human Rights instead.

Nevertheless, in a recent meeting between chairmen from city
chapters of Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) with Governor Surjadi
Soedirdja, party leaders requested that in light of increasingly
complex issues of the growing megalopolis, the current 75 members
should be increased to 100.

The leaders also said that because the capital did not have a
township council representing people at a lower level, Jakarta
should have more councilors.

Also, political groups would have more potential cadres to
groom if more councilors were added.

Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. is expected to issue
a decision on the matter before July, when the new council is
sworn in.

The composition of the outgoing City Council with its 75
members is as follows: 32 members are from Golkar, 15 from the
United Development Party (PPP), 13 from the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI) and 15 ABRI members, including former city police
chief Maj. Gen. M.H. Ritonga.

This was a result from the 1992 election in Jakarta where
Golkar won 2.6 million votes, PPP 1.1 million votes, and PDI 1.03
million votes.

The allotted number of seats refers to a 1985 law on the
membership of the House of Representatives and councils.

It specifically states that Jakarta should have at least 60
councilors.

The minimum number was raised to 75 when political leaders
asked the then minister of home affairs Rudini to increase the
number.

The 1985 law states that the size of the council must reflect
the support of the national electorate for respective
contestants.

After the votes are counted, the number of seats allotted to a
contestant will be first determined by the bilangan pembagi
pemilihan (a figure obtained from dividing the number of votes by
the available seats).

A confident Golkar official said it was aiming for at least 60
percent of Jakarta's votes today; and PPP's expectations ranged
from at least the same as 1992 to even higher than Golkar's. PDI
seemed too divided for an estimate.

"We could reap the same results as we did in 1987," said an
assured PPP executive, referring to when PPP won in Jakarta.
"People are getting tired of informal local leaders saying they
have to vote for Golkar."

While the Golkar source said, "PPP doesn't realize that the
huge number of youth it claims as supporters, are dropouts and
unemployed with nothing else better to do than join rallies."
(anr)