Deputy speakers installed, with two from Golkar

JAKARTA (JP): Three deputy City Council speakers were officially installed yesterday with Golkar having two deputy speaker seats for the first time ever.

The deputy speakers will serve under new speaker Brig. Gen. Edy Waluyo of the Armed Forces faction, who was also installed yesterday, for the 1997-2002 office term.

The new deputy speakers were Sugeng Suprijatna and Ade Surapriatna of Golkar and Rusydi Hamka of the United Development Party (PPP). Chief of Jakarta High Court Soegiarto swore them in on behalf of Chief Justice Sarwata.

The decision to have two deputy speakers from Golkar was made in the same morning as Tuesday's plenary session to elect the council speaker and deputy speakers. A day before the session, three of the council's four factions opposed Golkar's proposal to have two deputy speakers.

The three factions earlier proposed to drop the number of deputy speakers from three to two because the Indonesia Democratic Party (PDI) was underrepresented.

There were rumors that Governor Surjadi Soedirdja and Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso preferred Golkar councilor Soeparmo as one of the deputy speakers. Soeparmo is now head of the city's agency in charge of elementary education and represents Central Jakarta in the new council.

Attending yesterday's session was Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, former council speaker M.H. Ritonga, chairman of Golkar's city chapter Tadjus Sobirin and President Soeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo.

After his installation, Edy said he would study all city problems and the need for new regulations.

The new councilors will have to nominate candidates for Jakarta's next governor, approve the revised 1997/2010 city planning and adjust current regulations with newly issued laws, such as on local taxes and fees.

When asked whether council regulations should be changed to accommodate underrepresented PDI, Edy only said he would have to study the regulations.

According to current rules, a faction with less than five members can only have representation at plenary meetings, and cannot join other functions such as commission meetings.

PDI only has one representative, Jakarta chairman Lukman F. Mokoginta, following election results in which PDI only got 1.79 percent of 6.7 million votes in Jakarta.

"The decision (to change internal regulations) will depend on other councilors," Edy said.

He also promised to promote openness to the underclass -- "Openness will ensure that all people will have access to the right information," Edy said.

Addressing the new deputy speakers, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said Jakartans have become more critical, and have more courage to express their opinions.

"The changes...are a natural process with the transformation of values and development progress," Surjadi said.

Changes, he said, were due to better political awareness and education.

"Another important factor is the current political environment, which has allowed people to freely voice their opinions, attitudes and political aspirations to the government," Surjadi said.

The City Council is scheduled to select six provincial representatives for the People's Consultative Assembly on Monday.

The council will then determine commission chairmen, members and advisors and budget committee membership before starting to screen candidates for Jakarta's next governor. (ste)