Council mulls censuring Cirebon mayor

Council mulls censuring Cirebon mayor

CIREBON, West Java: The Cirebon legislative council is
considering censuring Mayor Subardi, who has been in office for
six months, for alleged incompetence.

Council speaker Suryana expressed disappointment on Wednesday
over the Cirebon mayor's "poor performance".

"We will soon summon the mayor for questioning about various
issues related to his administration's policies," Suryana told
The Jakarta Post.

The planned summons was confirmed by the council's deputy
speaker, Sunaryo HW, who was defeated by Subardi in last
January's mayoral election.

Subardi, who was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the National Mandate Party
(PAN), was sworn in as the new mayor on April 16.

He garnered 15 of 30 votes from the legislative council in the
mayoral election, defeating the Golkar Party's Sunaryo who
grabbed 14 votes.

Sunaryo said the council was preparing to invoke its right to
question the mayor. "We will ask him whatever we want."

Another senior councillor, Enang Iman, said the council could
issue a "no-confidence motion" against Subardi if it was not
satisfied with his answers.

Enang accused the mayor of frequently being absent from his
office because he was out of town.

Subardi said he would comply with any summons. --JP

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Across-Makassar-project
Dispute prompts Megawati to delay project
JP/5/across1

Dispute prompts Megawati to delay project

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: President Megawati Soekarnoputri has
canceled plans to inaugurate the Tomini Bay Development Authority
Board next week due to a dispute among three governors on
Sulawesi island over the project.

"One of the governors has a different vision than us. Instead
of sparking a conflict, we have postponed the plan temporarily,"
Gorontalo Governor Fadel Muhammad said on Wednesday in Makassar,
South Sulawesi.

Megawati was scheduled to inaugurate the project during a
visit to Gorontalo on Oct. 11.

Fadel said he had been notified by the maritime affairs and
fisheries minister that Megawati would not be inaugurating the
authority board during the visit due to the controversy.

The project involves the provinces of Gorontalo, North
Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi.

However, the Central Sulawesi governor has said he will oppose
the project unless the main office of the authority board is
located in his province.

He has argued that most of the 193,923-square-kilometer Tomini
Bay is located within Central Sulawesi. --Antara

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Across-Cirebon-council
Witnesses blame delay in arms trial
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Witnesses blame delay in arms trial

JAYAPURA, Papua: The military tribunal here delayed again on
Wednesday the trial of two soldiers charged with involvement in
the April burglary of munitions from an Army arsenal in Mamena
regency, as witnesses did not appear.

The Jayapura military court should have heard the testimony of
witnesses either against or in support of First Lt. Pilius Wenda
and Serianus Jikwa.

The delay was the third for the same reason as military
prosecutors were unable to present seven witnesses at the trial.
Five live in Wamena and two others in Manokwari regency.

Prosecutor Lt. Col. Sucahyo said the Trikora military
headquarters had promised to help present the witnesses at the
trial, but as of Wednesday, none had showed up, he added.

Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal said his
personnel in Wamena had encountered difficulty in finding the
witnesses as they had moved to other locations.

Pilius was charged with providing weapons to Papuan rebels who
were initially blamed for the April 4 theft of thousands of
bullets and guns. He could face the death penalty.

Serianus was charged with treason in connection with the
burglary.

Seven other soldiers were sentenced to up to seven months and
20 days for negligence when the burglary took place, which killed
two troops and one civilian. --JP

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Across-Cirebon-council
Jambi Police free 4 Chinese citizens
JP/5/acros09

Jambi Police free 4 Chinese citizens

JAMBI, Jambi: Four Chinese nationals arrested last Sunday in
Jambi province for alleged possession of fake passports have been
freed, the head of the provincial immigration office said here on
Wednesday.

Djoko Susetyo said Hu Xihui, Yang Chaorong, Hu Chuang Biao and
Yang Xi Biao were freed on Tuesday after the provincial police
and the immigration office had not found any violation.

Authorities found their passports to be authentic, Djoko
added.

He said the four Chinese, who had traveled from China's
Guangdong province to Jambi to buy textiles, were arrested at
Makmur Hotel on Monday at about 10 p.m. --Antara