Councillors dreams of sedans dashed?

JAKARTA (JP): Councillors waiting for cars paid for by the city budget may end up with zilch as the administration has suddenly expressed a desire to review the plan following a strong reaction from the public.

Assistant to city administrative affairs secretary Makmun Amin said on Wednesday that the final decision over the controversial plan to provide "official cars" to councillors would be made sometime next week.

The decision, which could be disappointing for those gleefully anticipating the vehicles, would be taken based on the latest developments concerning the issue, including the pros and cons, he added.

"We just have to wait until next week as some of the councillors may refuse to accept the cars even though the plan was initially conceived jointly by the city administration and the councillors," Makmun told journalists.

According to him, the city administration needs to review the plan, which had already been agreed, in order to anticipate possible rejection by some councillors opposed to the plan, which could later lead to other councillors acting likewise.

According to the initial plan, the cars for the councillors -- said to be Hyundai Accent sedans -- were to cost some Rp 5.5 billion (US$625,000) and were to be funded by a forecast surplus in the current (April-December) 2000 city budget.

"Actually, the city administration is slated to purchase the Hyndai Accent sedans soon as the plan has to be realized in December," Makmun said.

Councillors have come under fire for the various facilities they have received or are to receive from the city administration, including bonuses, subsidies for the purchase of land, and the South Korean-made cars.

When the 2000 budget came into effect in April, the councillors were given some Rp 75 million by the administration to purchase private cars.

Makmun contended that the initial decision to provide official cars for the councillors was taken in accordance with proper procedures and was fully debated.

Furthermore, he said, it was a joint decision of the councillors and the city administration.

"So, it is wrong for people to say that this was simply the result of the councillors' demands and that the city administration was forced to comply.

It's a mutual agreement between the two bodies," he said.

Makmun did not disclose whether former councillors, who had previously been assigned official cars, had already returned them to the council.

However, it is common knowledge that no former councillor has ever returned a car which supposedly belongs to the state.

Makmun said that although the city administration has the authority to arrange the budget, every decision should firstly go through thorough deliberation in the city council.

Separately on Wednesday, City Council Deputy Speaker Tarmidi Suhardjo said he personally expected that all of his 84 colleagues would reject the official cars on the grounds that it is more important to stand up for the people's interests.

"I have rejected the plan that was submitted to me as deputy speaker and I really hope that some (of my colleagues) will follow my lead," the councillor from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said.

However, he did not dispute the fact that he had accepted the administration's bonus and car subsidy from Governor Sutiyoso. (dja)