Councillors' firm stance weakened in Ancol

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso's 2001 budget speech appears likely to be accepted, with city councillors' apparently backing away from their original staunch criticism during the first day of a two- day meeting at the Hotel Horison in Ancol, North Jakarta, on Tuesday.

The chairwoman of the City Council's Commission E for social welfare affairs, Wasilah Sutrisno, said the meeting was aimed at clearing up the controversies surrounding the budget speech, which did not receive a warm welcome from councillors when delivered by the governor.

Among the controversies is the alleged misappropriation of the city budget.

"The issues are being discussed here. The earlier sharp criticisms of the administration have been toned down," said Wasilah of the National Mandate Party (PAN), without going into detail about all of the controversial issues surrounding the speech.

Whatever the issues, they were not resolved during last week's two-day meeting at the city-owned resort Wisma Jaya Raya in Puncak, Bogor.

Asked to comment on criticism that the meetings in Puncak and Ancol were nothing but a waste of money, Wasilah said she could do nothing.

"It's a tradition," she told reporters during a break in the meeting.

Some 47 of the city's 85 councillors and dozens of city officials took part in Monday's meeting in the hotel's Krakatau meeting hall.

Several rooms, priced between Rp 450,000 (US$45) and Rp 1 million a night, reportedly have been booked for councillors and officials.

Those taking part in the meeting were entertained by a live band during their lunch, a diversion that is unavailable to them at the council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih in Central Jakarta.

However, the financial assistant to City Secretary Makmun Amin denied having booked any rooms at the hotel for councillors and officials.

"Only one room was booked for the people in charge of the meeting," Makmun told reporters.

Councillor Ahmad Heryawan admitted that some councillors might be staying at the hotel.

"But I will go home and return tomorrow morning. I don't know about the others," Heryawan said.

It remains unclear who decided on holding the meeting at the hotel, which is partially owned by the city administration.

A city official claimed the councillors demanded the meeting be held in the Hotel Horison. But councillors said the meeting was the initiative of and financed by the City Finance Office.

"I don't know who decided on the details of the meeting. But the funds for the meeting were taken from the city budget," Makmun Amin said, without specifying how much the meeting was costing.

Last week, the city's 85 councillors and hundreds of city officials took part in the Puncak meeting, which reportedly cost Rp 1.5 billion.

The 2002 city budget allocated Rp 17.8 billion for City Council meetings related to the governor's budget speech and accountability speech.

The councillors will decide whether to reject or to accept the budget speech during a plenary session on April 26.

If his speech is rejected, Sutiyoso's opportunity to be reelected in October for a second five-year term would vanish.