Council rejects demands for Sutiyoso's dismissal

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite strong pressure from activists and the public, the City Council did not give a serious response to mounting demands that it should dismiss Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso for his failure to control floods in the capital.

Council chairman Edy Waluyo said on Wednesday it had to take care of the flood victims rather than discussing the demands.

He said that it would take some time before the council would have the chance to discuss the issue.

"The council consists of many factions. We could not decide it quickly and we should conduct a meeting to decide our stance," Edy said.

Even though the council has the power to dismiss Sutiyoso, it is unlikely that it will do so because they have not been critical of the city administration.

Besides, they also enjoy many facilities financed by the City Budget.

Each of the 85 councillors receives a monthly salary of Rp 7 million, various allowances, an official car and overseas trips.

On Tuesday, 29 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and dozens of flood victims staged a protest at the council building, demanding Sutiyoso's dismissal.

They also lashed out the council for having no idea about how to handle flooding, accusing the councillors of "having no brains".

The NGOs included the Urban Poor Consortium, the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, the Indonesian Corruption Watch and the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI).

They urged the administration and the council to be responsible for alleged corruption on several flood control projects.

The organizations also demanded direct elections for the city governor, councillors and mayors.

Sutiyoso, whose five-year term will end in October, has rejected resigning, saying that he would prefer to deal with flood victims rather than considering the demand.

"There is no word 'resign' from Sutiyoso. I would not run away from my responsibility," he told executives of troubled PT Gajah Tunggal, who donated Rp 500 million and food for flood victims, at the City Hall on Wednesday.

He said that the NGOs and other people who demanded his dismissal did not represent Jakarta people.

He said that the company's executives were the real representatives of Jakarta residents.

"You are Jakarta residents, aren't you. And you did not demand my resignation," Sutiyoso asked which was then replied with head nods.

The company's owner Sjamsul Nursalim, a fugitive, is a suspect of a multi-billion rupiah corruption case.

Sutiyoso claimed that he had worked hard during the flood, blaming the press for politicizing the disaster.

Sutiyoso's refusal was contrary to his earlier statement that he was ready to resign "in accordance with procedures".

A number of flood victims had gladly responded to the statement as they believed that Sutiyoso should be responsible for the huge floods.

The governor is scheduled to read his accountability speech on the 2001 City Budget in April, but many doubt that the speech would be rejected by the councillors.