Gov't officials told to be more responsive
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)