Councilors to cast ballot on voting method

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors on Friday agreed to decide by ballot on the voting method to be employed for their final judgment on Governor Sutiyoso's accountability speech next Monday.

Speaking at a press conference after a coordinating meeting with the council's 11 factions, council deputy speaker Tarmidi Suhardjo said: "We have agreed to conduct a ballot on Monday to decide whether the voting by the councilors on Sutiyoso's accountability speech will be carried out in a ballot or openly.

"The procedure will require each councillor to write their judgment on a piece of paper which will be made available on their desks."

Friday's meeting was attended by 70 of the council's 85 members.

During the meeting, 52 councilors voted for the ballot, 16 for an open vote while two abstained.

The meeting was held after the councilors failed to reach an agreement on the matter a day earlier.

During a plenary session on July 20, the councillors had rejected the governor's accountability speech in an open vote.

Separately, councillor Tjuk Sudono from the National Mandate Party (PAN), expressed his faction's disappointment with the results of Friday's meeting.

"PAN has insisted from the beginning that open voting is important as it is the most reliable way to show the public each councilor's stance on the governor's performance," he said.

Tjuk views the open voting as a sort of the council's public accountability.

"We just want to avoid the impression that the councilors are hiding something," Tjuk said. (lup)