Councilors divided on plan for city building takeovers

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors gave mixed reactions on Wednesday to Governor Sutiyoso's recent statement regarding the possible take-over of the 18 city-owned buildings currently occupied by three political parties.

Lukman Mokoginta of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction said that the governor's statement initially shocked most of the party's members here.

But PDI Jakarta's chapter, he said, has finally accepted and understood Sutiyoso's plan.

"It's an appropriate decision since the number of parties contesting this year's general election is no longer three but could reach up to 50," Lukman, the sole member and head of the PDI faction on the city council, told The Jakarta Post.

"Should the city administration only give office space to the three contestants, the remaining parties will of course protest," he added.

According to Lukman, PDI Jakarta's chapter has decided to rent its own office should Sutiyoso carry out the plan.

The 18 buildings at different locations in the city have been allocated by the city administration for the headquarters and Jakarta branch offices of the only three parties allowed by the Soeharto regime: the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and PDI.

Sutiyoso said on Monday that the administration was planning to take over the 18 buildings and decide how the city assets could be fairly used by all contestants in the upcoming June general election.

"This is being considered so that no parties should feel mistreated or left out," he said.

Djafar Badjeber of the PPP faction suggested the city administration considers granting a building to each of the three political parties.

"This is considering the contribution made by the three parties in the last two decades for the development of the capital," Djafar said, proudly.

In general, he said, his party has no problem with Sutiyoso's proposal to recover the city's assets.

"It's no problem for us at all. PPP can afford to buy offices," he said.

Unlike PDI and PPP, Golkar has never used either city- or state-owned buildings for party purposes, its executive insisted.

"To my knowledge, that has never happened. The party has always used its own buildings," Fatommy Asaari from Golkar said.

But Fatommy's remarks were strongly denied by a city official.

According to Effendi Anas, an executive of the city's social and political affairs directorate, Golkar is still occupying several city buildings, including those located on Jl. Tanah Tinggi and Jl. Pegangsaan Barat in Central Jakarta, Jl. Komarrudin in East Jakarta, Jl. Srengseng Sawah in South Jakarta, Jl. Rawa Lele in West Jakarta and Jl. Mindi in North Jakarta.

"I can assure you... they are there," Effendi told the Post.

The buildings currently used by PPP, he said, are located on Jl. Taruna in Central Jakarta, Jl. Jatinegara Kaum and Jl. Ngurah Rai in East Jakarta, Jl. Jagakarsa in South Jakarta, Jl. H. Namin in West Jakarta, and Jl. Kampung Beting, North Jakarta.

Buildings allocated for the PDI are on Jl. Kalibaru Timur in Central Jakarta, Jl. H. Naman in East Jakarta, Jl. Pasir in South Jakarta, Jl. Kopti Semanan and Jl. Joglo Raya in West Jakarta and Jl. Kesatriaan in North Jakarta. (ylt)