Golkar promotion tactics criticized

Golkar promotion tactics criticized

SEMARANG (JP): Legislators and scholars decried yesterday the
Central Java governor's decision to promote district chiefs in
whose areas Golkar recorded more than 90 percent of the vote in
the May election.

In a controversial move, Governor Suwardi is planning to give
an automatic three-grade promotion, from a IIIB to a IVA, to the
relevant district chiefs.

It is not known how many people will receive such promotions.

Golkar won 68 percent of the total vote in Central Java.

Toyfoer, chairman of the United Development Party faction in
the Central Java legislative council, charged that Suwardi's
policy violated the norms regulating the promotion of civil
servants.

"If those district heads got promoted because they succeeded
in amassing votes for Golkar, then their integrity as state and
public servants should be questioned," he said.

Another local legislator, Daromi Irjas, said Suwardi's
decision would breed insecurity and jealousy among civil servants
in the local administration.

Daromi said other high-achieving civil servants who were more
deserving of promotion may well have been overlooked because of
these meritless promotions.

"This policy will indeed demoralize those civil servants who
work to serve the public with all their heart. The governor's
policy is deplorable," he said.

Political observers from nearby universities joined the chorus
of disapproval at the controversial move.

Cornelis Lay, of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University,
and Novel Ali, of Diponegoro University in Semarang, blasted the
planned promotions as discriminatory, illogical and dangerous to
national unity.

They expressed concern that the policy could lead to
discrimination of services against districts where Golkar did not
win, resulting in a possible disparity in the pace of
infrastructure development projects, such as roads and clear-
water facilities.

"In this case, Suwardi should stop his policy because it could
later stir up social jealousy and thus endanger national unity,"
said Cornelis, who teaches political science.

Novel agreed, saying that Suwardi should stop his policy
immediately.

"Golkar has won, so let's see Golkar, through the Central Java
governor, give a good example by avoiding making a policy that
will make people angry," Novel said.

"A Golkar victory should be considered a victory for the
people, not for the interests of district heads. I can't
understand what's going on in the governor's head," he said.
(har/aan)