Gov't officials told to be more responsive

BANDUNG (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid advised government officials yesterday to heed people's aspirations and work hard to win their trust, as hundreds of students protested nearby against the reappointment of the West Java governor.

Syarwan endorsed dialog between officials and the public in an address at the reinstallation ceremony for Maj. Gen. (ret.) R. Nuriana at the legislative council here.

The students accused Nuriana of practicing corruption and collusion, although they did not cite specific instances during their hour-long rally at Gasibu Square.

"If officials absorbed and heeded the people's aspirations, there would not be any gap between government policy and the people's wishes," Syarwan said.

He said officials needed to hold dialogs so they could get firsthand information from the public. "The people's trust is an important factor in order to make the government a legitimate one."

Nuriana ended his first gubernatorial term on May 22. He was reelected earlier last month and had been scheduled to be reinstalled concurrently on May 22.

The installment was delayed because of the appointment of a new Cabinet following former president Soeharto's resignation a day earlier.

Upon the completion of the installment ceremony, about 300 students marched around the West Java governor's office under the surveillance of an estimated 300 riot police and Army troops. The rally ended peacefully an hour later.

An hour before the ceremony, a delegation of the Bandung Reform Movement (GRB) met with secretary-general of the home affairs ministry, Feisal Tamin, to file a petition against Nuriana's reinstallment.

The delegation demanded that the ceremony he postponed until Nuriana was cleared of allegations of corruption and collusion.

They alleged Nuriana was involved in a dubious residential project on 30,000 hectares in Jonggol subdistrict in Bogor regency, about 40 kilometer southeast of Jakarta.

"I told the delegation not to interfere with the ceremony as (the election) has been held constitutionally and was free from any political engineering," Feisal said.

He also suggested the activists should meet with Nuriana to clarify the matter.

Syarwan said there was no problem with Nuriana's installment because he was elected fairly by the West Java provincial legislative council.

"There has been no constitutional violation in the West Java provincial legislative council. We cannot nullify the result of the election," he told reporters.

Feisal said the activists should not relent in their commitment for a better West Java province.

"They should proceed with legal action if they have evidence for the allegations.

"Both parties should develop transparency while discussing the issue. And I'll be willing to act as mediator for them."

Separately, Nuriana challenged activists to back up their accusations with facts.

"They are free to come and seek clarification about the Jonggol issue," he told reporters after the installment.

He argued he was merely following orders in approving the huge project, involving four West Java subdistricts.

"The residential project was decided upon by then president Soeharto's instruction. I only followed his order," he said.

"I ask you, was there any governor who dared not carry out the president's instructions?"

He refuted the allegation that a 5 percent fee from the project was siphoned off into his personal account.

"If the project continues, the fee will be added to the West Java administration's treasury." he said. (imn)