Councillors insist on overseas trip

Councillors insist on overseas trip

SURABAYA: Turning a deaf ear to public criticism, 17 East Java
provincial councillors said they would stick to their plan to
visit a number of foreign countries.

Chairwoman of Commission E for people's welfare Harbiyah
Sholahuddin said no changes had been made to the planned trip,
which is scheduled to take place from Aug. 5 to Aug. 15.

"The trip will go ahead as planned in the 2002 legislative
budget," she said.

Called a comparative study tour, the trip will take the
councillors and their entourage to Singapore, Malaysia, the
Netherlands and France. Each of them will reportedly receive Rp
20 million for spending money.

There were originally 19 commission members listed for the
trip, but Budi Harijono from the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle and Lutfillah Masduqi of the National Awakening Party
withdrew on Monday. Both Budi and Lutfillah regarded the visit as
contradicting the province's pledge to combat poverty.

Five deputy council speakers and nine senior officials of the
provincial administration will accompany the commission members.
-- JP