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)