Council takes vow of silence
Council takes vow of silence
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post/Tangerang
In protest against the regulation on protocol and financial
affairs of councillors, Tangerang Legislative Council members are
to form an ojek (motorcycle taxi) convoy to drive to the office
on Monday and not speak a word the whole day.
The protest will coincide with the regency's 61st anniversary,
the celebration of which will be held at the administration's
Serba Ginma Hall in the regency capital of Tigaraksa.
Ahmad Kurtubi of the United Development Party's (PPP) faction
said that Government Regulation No. 24/2004 gives no benefit to
the councillors, as the salary and facilities stipulated are
insufficient to support their family as well as the political
parties.
"We receive Rp 4.6 million (US$511) as a monthly salary, most
of which has to be given to our party's office and to pay for
several other necessities. We can only take the remaining Rp
250,000 home," he said, adding that he had no other source of
income.
The councillors claimed that most of them had also skipped
meetings during the five months of work in protest over the
policy, and therefore, had not received their honorariums.
Councillor Dedi of the Golkar Party said that his house and
private car would soon be confiscated by the bank because he
could not pay the monthly installments on a Rp 800 million loan
he took to finance his campaign in the legislative election.
"First I thought that I would be able to pay the installments
from my salary, but I spend almost all of it to support the
party's cadres and the driver, leaving me with only Rp 200,000
each month," said the building material supplier.
One of the initiators of the protest, Almansur of the National
Mandate Party (PAN), said that the councillors -- all in suits
and ties -- would first gather on Jl. Raya Serang and take the
five kilometer route to the office in Tigaraksa.
"We want the central government to revise the government
regulation and the regency administration to seek a solution to
our financial problems. After this, we hope political party
cadres realize that becoming a councillor is not what they
imagine," he remarked.