East Kalimantan offices empty

Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda

Local residents have been deprived of public services in Samarinda recently, as high-ranking officials with the East Kalimantan provincial administration have been away for several days, while new councillors postponed their first sessions.

Most local government officials went to Palembang, South Sumatra to attend the 16th National Sports Week and are scheduled to return home next week.

Officers at both the executive and legislative bodies were absent on Friday and as a result, members of the public seeking assistance for various matters were turned away and told to come back on Monday.

The offices of the East Kalimantan governor and his deputy, provincial secretary and their assistants, located on Jl. Gajah Mada, Samarinda, were seen empty.

East Kalimantan administration spokesman Ibnul Yatim confirmed that many senior officials were out of town.

"They are arriving later today (Friday). Public services will return to normal starting Monday," he added.

Ibnul admitted that he did not anticipate that public services would be hampered by the absence of the local officials.

A lull was also experienced at the East Kalimantan Legislative Council building, where almost all offices were seen empty.

The newly installed provincial council should have started their first session on Thursday but postponed it until Sept. 8.

A staffer at the council's Commission C, Effendi, said that the legislature was not formally in recess, but sessions would begin by mid next week.

He explained that the upcoming sessions would only be used for an orientation program for the new councillors elected in the April 5 legislative polls.

According to Effendi, many of the new councillors have been away visiting their constituents in regions and would only be back next week.

He said that the newly elected councillors would not know their duties until the council elects its leaders and establishes commissions.

"This (lull) may last until early October because new commissions will be formed then. Rather than not doing anything, they (new councillors) have opted to return to their home towns," said Effendi.