City officials eye mayors' posts

City officials eye mayors' posts

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta

At least 10 officials with the city administration are running as
candidates for the positions of Central Jakarta and West Jakarta
mayor. They are currently being screened by a team led by City
Secretary Ritola Tasmaya.

"Several criteria will be taken into account: their work
experience, educational background and achievement," Governor
Sutiyoso said on Monday at City Hall.

He emphasized that the new mayors should be better qualified
than their predecessors because of tough challenges ahead.

"All mayors must be able to support city administration
policies to boost Jakarta's image as the capital of Indonesia,"
he added.

The selection team will come up with several names to be
presented to Sutiyoso for his approval.

Unlike in other areas, the mayors of the five municipalities
and one regency in Jakarta are not appointed by their own
councils but directly appointed by the governor as stipulated in
Law No. 34/1999 on the Jakarta provincial administration.

So far, some names have been released to the press as strong
candidates for the positions. They are the Jakarta Nation Unity
Agency head Syahrul Effendi, Jakarta Population Agency head
Sylviana Murni, City Spokesman or Information Agency head
Muhayat, City Public Lighting Agency head Pinondang Simanjuntak,
Thousand Islands deputy regent Djoko Rachmadi, city municipality
administration office head Fadjar Panjaitan, East Jakarta deputy
mayor Darwin Dachlan, South Jakarta deputy mayor Sadoni, Central
Jakarta deputy mayor Dadang Effendi and North Jakarta deputy
mayor Syarifuddin Putra.

The newly appointed mayors will be installed next August. West
Jakarta Mayor Sarimun Hadisaputra should have ended his term last
year but his tenure was extended due to the direct legislative
and presidential elections. Meanwhile, Central Jakarta Mayor
Hosea Petra Lumbun will end his term in August.