Graft suspects among 45 newly installed councillors
Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, Padang
Forty-five members of the Padang municipal legislative council, elected in the April 5 elections, were sworn in here on Friday, including seven suspects currently standing trial on graft charges.
The seven defendants are Masdi Ardi, Irdamsyah Nazar and Syafrizal Gazali -- all from the National Mandate Party (PAN); Mirkadri Miyar and Basran Basyir -- both from the Golkar Party; Saukani of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), and Nofrizal from the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI).
They were among 41 outgoing councillors elected for the 1999- 2004 period who were charged last March with involvement in a corruption scam worth Rp 10.4 billion (US$1.5 million) taken from the city's 2001 and 2002 budgets, and are being tried in the Padang District Court, West Sumatra.
Court president Bustami Nusirwan presided over the oath-taking ceremony as the 45 new councillors were formally installed for the 2004-2009 period by West Sumatra Governor Zainal Bakar on Friday.
Responding to the swearing-in of seven defendants as councillors, Mufti Syarfie from the West Sumatra General Elections Commission (KPUD) pointed to Law No. 12/2003 on the requirements for legislators as the legal basis for their installations.
The law states that a person shall be barred from occupying a seat in a legislature if he has been convicted of a crime based on a final and conclusive court ruling, and been handed a minimum jail sentence of five years.
"If they (the seven defendants) are convicted of the charges they are facing and given five or more years in prison, we will order their parties to recall them. If they are jailed for less than five years, we will advise their parties to replace them. But we will only do so after final and conclusive decisions have been handed down," Mufti said.
Bustami said the seven councillors were presumed innocent as their trials were still continuing. "But, if they are convicted, and the verdicts enter into final and conclusive effect, they could be removed or recalled," he added.
In a similar case, the Padang court has convicted almost all 55 members of the West Sumatra provincial council for involvement in a collective graft scandal. However, they remain free pending appeal.
The 45-strong new Padang municipal council is dominated by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with 11 seats, followed by PAN with nine seats.
Golkar won eight seats, and the United Development Party (PPP) and the Democratic Part five each, while the PBB got three seats, and the PKPI and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) two each.
Thirty-eight of the 45 new councillors are freshmen.
Speaking after the swearing-in ceremony, acting council speaker Budiman (PKS) vowed that his party was determined to fight corruption in Padang.
"We will begin with a commitment to working properly and in a trustworthy manner. We will consistently abide by the prevailing law in enacting legislation and drafting the budget," he said.