Council to join Sutiyoso in opposing direct election
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.