Government says mayor still in charge

Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

The central government still recognizes Surabaya Mayor Bambang D.H., who was dismissed from office last month by the city council, as the legal head of the city's administration.

In a recent memo to East Java Governor Imam Utomo, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said Bambang still had the authority to run the Surabaya administration, pending a thorough investigation of his controversial dismissal.

The memo, dated Aug. 16, ordered Governor Imam to promote reconciliation or to oversee the establishment of an independent investigative commission to resolve the matter.

"This memo makes clear that Bambang D.H. is still the mayor of Surabaya and still has the legitimacy to carry out his duties, tasks and responsibilities as before," Agus Syamsudin, the head of East Java's Office of Autonomy and Governance, said on Tuesday.

The memo from the home affairs minister was in reply to one sent to him by the East Java governor on July 11, after the Surabaya City Council had dismissed Bambang.

The city council voted on July 11 to remove Bambang from office after only one month. The council was reacting to the mayor's 2001 budget accountability speech.

Councillors accused the mayor, who is from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), of being arrogant and of lacking the support of the bureaucracy he is supposed to lead.

The council had asked the home affairs minister to approve their dismissal of the mayor.

But Bambang claimed the city council had not met the required conditions for rejecting his accountability speech, noting that the PDI Perjuangan faction in the council had accepted the speech.

He had vowed to challenge his dismissal in court if the central government endorsed the council's motion to dismiss him.

Bambang is being held accountable for the 2001 budget even though it was formulated under his predecessor Sunarto Sumoprawiro, for whom Bambang was a deputy.

Sunarto was removed as mayor by the same council in a controversial decision earlier this year.

The speaker of the city council, M. Basuki, warned Bambang against making any strategic decisions, including replacing or appointing officials and issuing bylaws, while his dismissal is being reviewed.

The home minister has recommended the two sides reconcile their differences and resolve this dispute.

But failing this, the minister said, an independent investigative commission should be formed to examine whether the council's dismissal of Bambang was acceptable or legally flawed.

Agus said reconciliation had proven impossible, so the East Java governor will establish a seven-member inquiry commission. The commission will comprise three academics from Airlangga University, two from Jember State University and two from Brawijaya University.

The governor is scheduled to meet with the home minister in Jakarta on Wednesday, to discuss the issue before officially inaugurating the independent commission.