Sat, 27 May 2000

Councillor scoffs at plan by PAM workers to occupy City Council

JAKARTA (JP): City council speaker Edy Waluyo has condemned a plan by members of the city-owned tap water company PD PAM Jaya's Workers Union to occupy the City Council building on June 5 when Governor Sutiyoso is slated to deliver his annual accountability speech.

He told reporters at his office on Wednesday that such action was against the spirit of democracy.

"There are channels and procedures to evaluate his (Sutiyoso's) achievement but not by any violent means," he said.

"We have commissions and factions in the council to evaluate his governorship. We'll first study his accountability speech before giving our evaluation," he added.

Edy was commenting on the union's plan to occupy the Council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih in Central Jakarta the day Sutiyoso will give his accountability speech.

There are five commissions which will give their judgment in administrative, economic, financial, development, and social welfare affairs. Meanwhile, the council's 11 factions will give political assessment on Sutiyoso's achievement.

The union has always been a staunch opponent to Sutiyoso's governorship, accusing him of being unable to rule in favor of the union members over the newly endorsed water management agreement with two foreign firms -- Palyja (Pam Lyonnaise Jaya) and TPJ (Thames Pam Jaya).

Deputy council speaker Djafar Badjeber aired similar opinion over the planned occupation.

"We should give Pak Sutiyoso the chance to deliver his speech before making any judgment," he said.

The governor is facing a number of achievement and performance problems, mainly over his alleged involvement in the July 27, 1996 takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters.

Other problems include alleged corruption by his staff and rumors that Sutiyoso's subordinates were disregarding his instructions.

Speculations were also rife that many parties would topple him during the June 5 session, accusing him of being unable to run the administration.

Edy, however, said last Friday that the speech would only consist of Sutiyoso's progress report, but would contain no information that would pose a threat to his governorship.

"However, if we find serious cases involving the governor, we can summon him for a special accountability speech. If he is guilty, we can propose to the central government to dismiss him," he said.

"Yet, the authority to dismiss the governor will rest on the central government."

Opposition also comes from Betawi (native Jakartan) people, who have demanded that he be replaced with a Betawi governor.

Head office

The city administration has also received a report of the union members' plan to occupy PDAM Jaya's head office on Jl. Penjernihan II in Central Jakarta on Thursday.

"There will be some 2,000 members participating in the action, including university students and activists of non governmental organizations," a city official said while quoting the report.

"We have coordinated with the City Police and the City Military Command to secure PAM Jaya's head office," the official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said.

The water management agreement was signed on April 10, giving Palyja and TPJ the authority to continue their operation here.

Members of the union have staged numerous protests demanding the cancellation of the agreement, claiming that it was full of corruption and scandals.

The union members have earlier occupied PAM Jaya's head office and damaged equipment last February.

The two foreign firms have reported that union members have also forcibly closed down their branch offices and hindered field workers from doing their jobs to widen the water pipeline network. (nvn)