Date in governor's letter creates furor

Ahmad Junaidi The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso has blamed his subordinates for typing the wrong date of when his tenure ends in a letter to President Megawati, which gave the impression that Sutiyoso had extended his term.

His term ends on Oct. 6, but the letter says it ends on Oct. 31.

"I didn't pay much attention o the date because there were many letters for me to sign," Sutiyoso said at City Hall on Thursday.

"But I apologize for my subordinates and have sent a letter of correction to the President," he said.

Separately, administrative affairs assistant to the city secretary Thamrin Ekajati said the personnel who made the letter thought Sutiyoso's term ended at the end of the month, as retirement time for civil servants is normally at the end at the month.

The officers wrote that Sutiyoso's term would end on Oct. 31 after consulting with personnel at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Thamrin said.

He said another officer of the ministry later said that Sutiyoso was a state officer, not a civil servant.

"But the letter was sent to the State Secretariat before correction."

Sutiyoso, who has expressed a willingness to be reelected, was earlier scheduled to deliver his accountability speech in June. But the City Council has granted his request to delay it to July 18.

If the speech is rejected by the council, he would have no chance of being reelected in October for another five-year term.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Government Watch chairman Amir Hamzah viewed that Sutiyoso may have had a political motive for extending his term.

He said that if Sutiyoso's accountability speech was rejected by the council, he could try to cancel the gubernatorial election. With an extension of term, he would have more time to maneuver to create political chaos that would stop the electoral process.

"He then might try to be appointed acting governor," Amir said.

Amir also speculated that the letter could also have been made by Sutiyoso's subordinates to tarnish his reputation prior to the election. "Maybe the letter was made by his rivals in the city administration."

Deputy Governor for Social Welfare Affairs Djailani and City Secretary Fauzi Bowo will reportedly run for election.

Separately, the city chapter of the National Mandate Party (PAN), which has 13 seats in the council, announced on Thursday that it would nominate its chairman Daniel Abdullah Sani as a governor or deputy governor candidate in the election.

"Our central board chairman, Amien Rais, has blessed Daniel's candidacy," the party's faction chairman M. Nazamuddin said.

PAN is the second largest after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, which has 30 seats in the 83-seat council.