Councillors overlook duties in rush to oust governor
Yuliansyah, The Jakarta Post, Banjarmasin
The South Kalimantan legislative council is so busy in its campaign to unseat Governor Sjachriel Darcham that it has neglected its main duties of drafting bylaws and provincial planning, a councillor said on Monday.
Councillor Mawah Masykur of the United Development (PPP) faction said that the council's performance had been disappointing since its current activities were no longer relevant to its effort to uphold good governance.
"It seems that the councillors are getting a salary without doing any work for it. It has been more than a month since they refused to cooperate with the provincial administration to draft bylaws. It isn't fair because the public is waiting for explicit guidelines on regional development," Mawah said.
The council is scheduled to discuss the second revision of the 2002 provincial budget, the draft of the 2003 provincial budget and provincial strategic planning, which has partial control over running the administration.
"We have formed a special team to discuss provincial strategic planning, but the whole agenda is dragging on because the council has not set a fixed date yet for deliberation," he said.
The council issued Decree No. 16/2002, dated Aug. 21, which dismisses the governor and his deputy on the grounds that they were allegedly involved in corruptive practices.
The decree has sparked a debate among the councillors. Councillors from the Golkar faction, the Indonesian Democratic of Struggle faction, the Justice Awakening Nation Unity faction, the Star Ummah Unity faction and the Justice Mandate faction support the decree, while those from the National Military/National Police and PPP factions are against it.
The two opposing sides are lobbying high-ranking officials in the province and in Jakarta to agree with their side.
Sjachriel, a senior member of PPP, has vowed to stay on in office pending President Megawati Soekarnoputri's final decision.
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno has repeatedly said the government recognizes Sjachriel as the legitimate South Kalimantan governor.
Amid the controversy, the governor is in Saudi Arabia on a minor haj pilgrimage.
Fikri Chairman, one of the 70 lawyers who accompanied a group of councillors opposing Sjachriel during a meeting with Hari in Jakarta recently, said the minister asked the council to review the decree.
"It is clear that the central government considers the decree legally flawed. I doubt the decree will be passed," he said.
Sjachriel was in Jakarta over the weekend to discuss with Hari preparations for the inauguration of the Hulu Sungai Utara regent and his deputy on Wednesday. The governor is scheduled to swear in the regent and his deputy on behalf of the President.