Council to join Sutiyoso in opposing direct election

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The City Council is likely to join forces with Governor Sutiyoso to oppose the plan to create a legal basis for a direct gubernatorial election in Jakarta, initiated by a number of legislators in the House of Representatives.

The Council set up on Monday a special committee to formulate its common view on the House's move to revise Law No. 34/1999 on the special administration of the capital.

Council deputy speaker Chudlary Syafi'i said the special committee was expected to finalize the common view on April 30, as it will form the basis of Sutiyoso's hearing with the House early next month.

Sutiyoso also expressed his disagreement with the direct gubernatorial election, saying that the people of Jakarta were not ready to elect their governor directly.

Syafi'i said the Council's special committee on the revision of Law No. 34/1999 consists of 27 members elected from 11 factions in the City Council.

However, he stressed that the Council's recommendation on the revision would still depend on the results of the special committee's tasks.

The idea to hold a direct gubernatorial election surfaced prior to the September 2002 gubernatorial election from many non- governmental organizations, who were concerned about the possibility of votes being bought by councillors and candidates.

The September election was marred by strong protests from tens of thousands of demonstrators who opposed Sutiyoso's re-election. The demonstrators also accused councillors and gubernatorial candidates of buying votes.

Meanwhile, the bill on revision of Law No. 34/1999 is under discussion by the House special committee.

A member of the House special committee on the revision of law No. 34/1999, Zain Badjeber, said that they were now waiting for a presidential decree assigning a minister as a partner to the House special committee in deliberating the bill.

Badjeber stressed the need for a direct gubernatorial election in the city which represented the extent of democratic implementation in the country.

"Jakarta is the most developed region in the country; therefore, the direct gubernatorial election should be started in the capital to inspire other regions to do the same," Badjeber told The Jakarta Post.

In regards the time frame of the direct gubernatorial election as stated in the bill on revision of the law, he stressed that the deliberation of the bill would involve legislators and executives, and that the draft was still open to changes.

The draft said that direct gubernatorial election should be held in May 2003.

"The governor was just elected in September 2002; it is unfair to hold a direct gubernatorial election this year. If such an effort is made, (it shows that) the House does not respect our jobs," Syafi'i said.