Factional fighting flares for plum commission posts
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The seven factions of City Council are gearing up to battle it out for the chairmanships of five commissions on Monday. The factions are particularly eying the chairmanship of Commission E on people's welfare, health and education, aside from Commission D on development affairs and Commission A on legal and administrative affairs.
"Many factions are keen to chair Commission E in an effort to secure a place in the hearts of Jakartans before the direct gubernatorial election in 2007," said councillor Agus Darmawan of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction.
The election of the commissions' chairmen is scheduled to take place after Monday's swearing-in ceremony of Council Speaker Ade Surapriatna from the Golkar Party faction and his deputies Ahmad Heryawan of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction and Ilal Ferhard of the Democratic Party faction.
The PKS faction, which has a majority 18 seats but failed in its bid for the council speaker's post, said earlier it sought to place one of its councillors as Commission E chairman and its deputies or secretaries as heads of the four other commissions.
Heryawan lost to Ade in the Sept. 17 election for council speaker by 42 votes to 30. Although the PKS had support from the Democratic Party, the latter party admitted some of its councillors "betrayed" the coalition by voting for Ade instead.
Dani Anwar, who has been nominated by PKS as the Commission E chairmanship candidate, is optimistic about his chances upon the support promised by councillors of the Democratic Party and PAN.
"We will fight for the chairmanship, but we are aware that we must arrive at a compromise to establish a cooperation with other factions," he said.
Dani will compete against Achmad Suaidy from the United Development Party (PPP), who is likely to be supported by the Golkar Party faction as payback for PPP's supporting Ade.
"Six factions gave us their support (in the council speakership election). The Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) wants the Commission D post, so we still need to help five other factions to secure top posts in the other commissions," said Golkar Party faction chairman Inggard Joshua.
Golkar seeks a post in Commission A, but not the chairmanship. "We are content with the council speaker post," he said.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the third largest faction, said it was aiming for the Commission D chairmanship.
"PDI-P wants Commission D because we have councillors who have expertise in development and transportation affairs," faction chairman Maringan Pangaribuan told reporters.