Council opposes helicopter offer
Council opposes helicopter offer
MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Five factions at the South
Sulawesi provincial legislative council have criticized a state
cooperative's offer to buy a helicopter for Governor HZ Palaguna.
They have demanded that he turn down the "foolish" bid.
The spokesman for a councillor team set up to deal with the
offer, Arifuddin Saransi, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that
the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Military/National Police,
Indonesian Nationality Awakening (KKI), the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the People's Mandate Party (FKAU)
factions have all disagreed with the offer.
Bina Otoda Cooperative, a cooperative under the auspices of
the office of the State Ministry for Regional Autonomy, has
offered governor Palaguna a helicopter for his daily transport
needs.
In a letter dated July 17, 2000, the cooperative said it
wanted to buy a US$525,000 U.S. Robinson R44 type helicopter for
the governor.
It is not clear if such a cooperative has the authority to
purchase a helicopter for a governor.
The governor, through the provincial secretary, sent letter
No. 553.3/4013/BP dated Sept. 7, 2000, to the speaker of the
provincial legislative council, asking for the council's
reaction.
Before the council has even discussed the letter officially,
rumors have abounded that Governor Palaguna plans to buy a
helicopter.
The plan has been criticized by people in the province, and
has hit headlines in local papers.
Non-governmental groups have demanded that Palaguna cancels
his plan to buy a helicopter, saying that most people in the
province were living in poverty.
The Committee for Supervising the Legislative (Kopel) demanded
on Friday that the plan be dropped.
Arifuddin said that certain groups of people had intentionally
blown up the rumors to create 'uneasiness' among the people.
"We have shown our disproval of the offer and urged the
governor to throw it into the trash bin," he said. "We thank the
governor, who reported the offer to the council." (27/sur)