Elevate status of

Elevate status of
Jakarta governor

From Warta Kota

I agree with President Megawati Soekarnoputri's plan to carry
on the pursuit of the late first president Sukarno (Bung Karno),
such as to make Medan Merdeka Utara a museum zone, restore the
Gelora Bung Karno stadium as an international sports venue and
rebuild banteng (bull) statues once erected in the national
monument square.

Bung Karno also had futuristic ideas. For instance, in 1965 he
issued a decree raising the status of the top executive of
Greater Jakarta.

Within the context of current conditions, the decree requires
reconsideration. Allow me to describe several factors supporting
the idea. First, the flood control concept has, since the
colonial period, applied upstream to downstream control, now
known as the Bopuncur concept, meaning flood control from the
origin of water in Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur.

With regional autonomy currently in force, the authorities in
Bopuncur are more interested in optimizing development efforts to
increase their regional revenues, regardless of the flood threat
to Jakarta.

Second, Jakarta's muddled transportation results from the
city's inability to apply the mass transportation concept, with
the consequence of congestion on routes such as Kampung Rambutan
to Bekasi, Kampung Rambutan to Bogor and Lebak Bulus to
Tangerang.

Third, Jakarta's air space is polluted, thereby making the
city one of the world's dirtiest capitals.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso has often complained about the
resolution of these issues and once even blamed neighboring
administrations. If only the status of the Jakarta governor could
be raised to the level of a special minister, the complaints and
debates between regional administrations would not occur.

To this end, I would suggest that President Megawati reissue a
decree like that of Bung Karno or mobilize supporters of Bung
Karno in the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) faction in the House of Representatives to submit
this matter to a special committee for revision of the autonomy
law.

MA'MUN IBNU RIDWAN
NGO Activist Coalition Coordinator
Jakarta