I listened to the people: Sutiyoso

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso admitted on Monday that his decision to rescind the appointment of four of the five Armed Forces (ABRI) members as high-ranking city administration officials was made in response to public demand.

"I decided to cancel the appointment of the four military members after I listened to all the input, including from the public. I hope it will it will satisfy people," he said.

The four ABRI personnel, whose names and ranks have never been disclosed, were initially appointed as heads of the city land transportation agency, the city sanitation agency, the city parking agency and the civilian defense unit's provincial headquarters.

On Thursday Sutiyoso, who himself is an active Army lieutenant general, was still strongly defending the appointment of the five military members, saying that the decision was taken about two years ago.

However, the plan to fill hive of seven vacant senior positions with people with a military background has been criticized. Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi announced that the administration would reduce the number of ABRI officers in line with the results of the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly, which advocated the gradual reduction of the number of military members in the Assembly.

Sutiyoso installed on Monday eight new senior officials at the City Hall, not seven as initially announced.

One military

Three of the newly installed officials were Dody Sudarno, the head of the city's social and political affairs directorate, Syahris Tanjung, the head of the city-owned market management firm PD Pasar Jaya, and Albert Napitupulu, the head of the Jakarta office of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPMD).

Sutiyoso also installed Samsul Hilatana as the head of the city office of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises, and directors of four city-run hospitals: Zulrasdi Djairas at Haji Hospital in East Jakarta, Umar Wahid at Pasar Rebo Hospital in East Jakarta, Abdul Chalik Masulili at Koja Hospital in North Jakarta and Martin Bimbuain at Tarakan Hospital in Central Jakarta.

Of the eight new officials, only one, Dody Sudarno, has military background; he was a colonel in the Jakarta Military Command.

Sutiyoso refused on Monday to give further details as to when the four positions he meant to fill with the three other posts, would be filled.

"I will settle the process first before determining the right decision," he said.

However, the governor said that the decision did not mean that the administration no longer needed the presence of the ABRI members.

He said that in the future he would appoint employees to hold certain positions based not on their background but on performance.

"I will consider professionalism when appointing new city officials."

"For certain posts like the city civilian defense unit and the city land transportation agency someone with an ABRI background is still needed as the two organizations have similarities with the military.

"The heads of the two agencies, for instance, need to have access to the city police and the city military command," he added. (ind)