Councillors asked to quit old jobs

Councillors asked to quit old jobs

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang

Newly elected councillors in Banten province have been urged to
give up their old jobs to become councillors or vice versa prior
to their swearing-in, scheduled for Aug. 28.

Banten province General Elections Committee (KPUD) chairman
Indra Abidin said on Monday that the regulation had been
established in Ministry of Home Affairs Decree No. 160/885/OTDA,
issued on July 20, 2004.

The decree stipulates councillors-elect must give up their
jobs at least three days before being sworn in. Indra said that
by Aug. 25, all councillors would no longer have more than one
job, in an effort to enable them to fully concentrate on their
new task.

The regulation applies to all elected councillors who run
their own businesses, work at local administrations or currently
serve as regency/municipality councillors.

However, the KPUD will not have the power to enforce the
regulation as it does not have any sanction on those violating
the rule.

Indra said that, for the time being, councillors violating the
rule would receive only administrative sanction from the home
ministry.

Two councillors at Tangerang municipality -- Burhanuddin of
the National Mandate Party (PAN) and M.A. Chosim of the Golkar
Party -- have submitted resignation letters to the council as
they will be sworn in as Banten provincial councillors.

"We have delivered our resignation letters to the (municipal)
council and they are now being processed," Chosim said.