Enduring Sutiyoso

The Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) voted to endorse the leadership of Governor Sutiyoso on Friday, even though many of its members had a variety of reservations about his performance in 2001. Residents of Jakarta are thus condemned to endure life under Sutiyoso's governorship, with all its shortcomings and ugly consequences, at least for a few more months.

The Council has the power to replace Sutiyoso before his term ends if it deems that he is not performing to expectations. The process of requiring the governor to submit an annual report to the Council is intended to ensure that whoever heads the city administration is held accountable for his action, or inaction.

Sadly, the Council appears to be reluctant to exercise this democratic option. The major factions in the Council virtually ignored public sentiment about Sutiyoso's failings, and accepted his annual report, albeit after a vote.

Jakarta residents have plenty of reason to gripe about Sutiyoso this past year because the city was virtually heading toward total breakdown. Traffic congestion is getting worse, public services are deteriorating, widespread corruption in the administration is not dealt with, the air and rivers have become more polluted, garbage was left uncollected for weeks, the crime rate is soaring and many others things, enough to suggest that something must be done quickly.

Replacing the governor is certainly the way forward because he has failed the residents. He bears the responsibility for many of Jakarta's illnesses.

It is therefore disturbing to learn that the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the largest faction in the Council, endorsed Sutiyoso's speech even while having reservations, on the grounds that he had only a few more months in office before the governorship election in October.

That is tantamount to saying that Jakarta residents can endure -- "suffer" is perhaps a better term -- a few more months of Sutiyoso's incompetence. Jakartans have suffered enough, and so much could happen between now and October that it is simply unthinkable that PDI Perjuangan was willing to risk it.

Bizarre perhaps, but not entirely surprising. After all, we live in a country where almost anything is possible, especially when it comes to the question of national leadership.

This is a country where the House of Representatives speaker roams free and leads the institution while he faces graft charges. This is a country where the central bank governor is a convicted felon, but is still dictating the direction of Indonesia's monetary policy. Why shouldn't Sutiyoso, with all his incompetence and poor track record, be allowed to continue to govern this city of nine million to 12 million people?

Jakarta, with all its complex problems, deserves a much better governor. Members of the Jakarta Legislative Council, who are now suggesting that residents are prepared to settle for something less, are betraying the trust vested in them by the public.

At times, it looks suspiciously conspiratorial that Sutiyoso has been able to remain in office this long, even if he, in the eyes of many Council members, was failing in his job. The Council has had more than one occasion to put Sutiyoso on the spot. It has taken the trouble to look into his failings and raise them with the public, only to let him off the hook ultimately.

The same thing happened in the way the Council deliberated the governor's speech accounting for his 2001 performance. After raising a storm about his performance, the Council endorsed his speech of accountability and let him keep his job. If there was indeed collusion between the governor and the Council, God forbid what will happen in the October governorship election.

Whatever the real story behind Friday's endorsement of Sutiyoso's speech, this episode has strengthened the argument for a direct election system in choosing the governor. The existing indirect system, by which the City Legislative Council conducts the nomination and election process, is vulnerable to collusion.

A direct election system will ensure greater accountability on the part of the elected governor to the people, and that, if he fails in his job, the voters will have a chance to oust him. It leaves little room for second- or even third-rate leaders to hold such an important job that affects our lives. Besides, we just cannot trust our politicians any more to do the right thing when it comes to electing the governor.