Council okays amendments to 1999/2000 budget

Council okays amendments to 1999/2000 budget

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council voted on Tuesday to accept
Governor Sutiyoso's proposal to amend the administration's
budget, which ended on March 31 and saw a surplus of Rp 879
billion (US$96 million).

The vote was taken after two major factions, the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the National
Mandate Party (PAN), rejected the proposal on the grounds that
the administration had failed to satisfactorily explain a number
of financial irregularities.

Two smaller factions, the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) and
the Justice Party (PK), abstained, while the other seven
factions, led by the United Development Party (PPP) and the
Indonesian Military/National Police, supported the amendment.

During the secret ballot by the 75 councillors present, 51
voted to endorse the budget amendment, 23 voted against the
amendment and one councillor abstained.

Sutiyoso was present during the plenary session, including the
voting and the vote count. Each councillor cast their vote by
turn in a cubicle set up in the meeting hall.

The result of the vote suggests that some PDI Perjuangan and
or PAN councillors broke from their faction to vote for the
amendment. Together, the two factions account for 43 of the 85
council seats.

During deliberations on the budget amendment, PDI Perjuangan
and PAN highlighted the administration's failure to explain
irregularities in fuel tax revenue, the dividends from city-owned
companies and the misuse of city-owned land.

The administration ended the year with total revenue of Rp
4.18 trillion ($454 million) and expenditures of Rp 3.3 trillion,
giving it a surplus of more than Rp 800 billion.

The vote on Tuesday was a prelude to another major decision to
be taken by the council on Thursday: whether to accept Sutiyoso's
accountability speech for the 1999/2000 period.

The PPP faction already has indicated it will reject the
speech, while the other factions have not stated their positions.

A rejection by the council could lead to the removal of
Sutiyoso, as occurred with the governor of Aceh.

Djafar Badjeber, a deputy chairman of the council from the PPP
faction, said the crucial decision on Sutiyoso's accountability
speech would be made by the council on Thursday.

He confirmed his faction would reject the speech. "It has been
decided."

Audi Tambunan, the chairman of the PDI Perjuangan faction,
warned that Tuesday's vote in favor of Sutiyoso did not
necessarily reflect the outcome of Thursday's vote. "We will
further deliberate Sutiyoso's performance."

Sutiyoso's failure to provide a satisfactory explanation about
the budget amendment could affect PDI Perjuangan's final opinion
of his overall performance, Audi said.

He pointed out that four factions did not endorse the budget
amendment. (06)