Council speaker blocks vote, clears way to buy cheap car
Council speaker blocks vote, clears way to buy cheap car
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang
The Central Java legislative council endorsed on Tuesday a plan
to sell hundreds of official cars and motorcycles cheaply to
councillors and officials, despite a huge public outcry.
The plan was approved by council speaker Ircham Abdurrohim --
who stands to benefit from the ruling -- who rejected calls from
some councillors to vote on the issue during a plenary session.
Under the plan, the provincial government will sell at least
272 official cars and 184 motorcycles at knockdown prices.
Buyers will most likely be councillors and officials, as well
as retired civil servants who are still using the official
vehicles and having them maintained at the expense of local
taxpayers.
"If not auctioned, the cars will pose a burden on the local
government's budget. After auction, all maintenance costs for the
vehicles will be covered by their respective owners," Ircham
argued.
But he could not say why the cars would not be sold at normal
market prices.
For example, a 1997 Toyota Crown sedan, now being used by the
council speaker, will be offered for only Rp 25 million
(US$2,941), while it is still estimated to be worth more than Rp
100 million.
Two 1977 Kijang LS and 1996 Kijang LGX minivans, which would
sell for around Rp 75 million each, are being offered for only Rp
16 million respectively.
A Peugeot sedan will be sold for only Rp 24 million, though it
could be sold for Rp 60 million at a car dealership, and a 1997
Suzuki Escudo is offered for Rp 20 million though it is worth
more than Rp 90 million.
The prices have drawn criticism and protests from students and
other activists since early this month. To appease the critics,
the local administration slightly raised the prices of those
cars.
With the increased prices, the administration is projected to
collect around Rp 3.7 billion from the sales of the 456 vehicles,
an increase from its earlier target of Rp 2.4 billion.
During Tuesday's plenary session, councillors Zubair Syafawi
and Noor Achmad proposed the decision to approve the planned sale
be voted on. But Ircham rejected the motion by swiftly striking a
hammer to close the meeting.
The decision sparked immediate jeering at Ircham from students
and journalists who attended the session.
"I have tried to voice the aspirations of the people. But it
has not been responded to," Zuber told reporters after the
meeting.
"I apologize to the public for failing to accommodate their
aspirations .... If the council leaders were wise, they should
have allowed a vote. This is what I disagree with. In a plenary
session, all have an equal right."
Zuber asked the local administration to delay the auction
until December.
Similarly, Noor Achmad said the council leaders should not
have closed the meeting as many councillors opposed the decision.
"They should have raised the issue of prices. If there was no
agreement the decision must be postponed. By striking the hammer,
it implied all council members had agreed, while in fact there
were still differences. A vote should have been used to take such
a decision."
On Oct. 15, dozens of students staged a protest at the council
over the prices of the vehicles. They carried buffalo excrement
and frogs during the rally.