Ismeth appointed as caretaker governor of Riau Islands

Ismeth appointed as caretaker governor of Riau Islands

Fadli, Batam

President Megawati Soekarnoputri has appointed Batam Industrial
Development Authority (BIDA) chairman Ismeth Abdullah as the
caretaker governor of Riau Islands (Kepri) province. He will hold
both positions indefinitely.

Riau Islands was established as a new province under Law
No.25/2002. It consists of Kepri, Karimun, Natuna and Lingga
regencies, as well as Tanjung Pinang and Batam municipalities.
The total population of the province is 1 million, nearly half of
whom reside on Batam island.

Ismeth told The Jakarta Post on Friday by phone that he has
been appointed as the new province's ad interim governor through
Presidential Decree No.97/M/2004. He has been given the task of
preparing infrastructure, such as building the gubernatorial
offices and facilities for local agencies, and preparing for
gubernatorial elections in three months time.

"We're starting from zero and we hope that the preparations
for the infrastructure and other facilities will be completed
within the next three months, as mandated by the decree," said
Ismeth. He claimed that he did not know when Minister of Home
Affairs Hari Sabarno would swear him into office.

"I don't know when the exact date is, but I have to work and
do what is required of me," he said.

He also acknowledged that the President had summoned State
Secretary/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo and Hari, and asked
them to appoint him as caretaker governor while retaining his
position as BIDA chairman. He replaced Fanny Habibie, the younger
brother of former president BJ Habibie, in that post in 1998.

The government has allocated a budget of Rp 239.8 billion
(US$28.1 million) for preparing the bureaucratic infrastructure
in the new province. Based on Law No.25/2002, Tanjung Pinang is
designated as the capital of the province. Batam will function as
the temporary capital prior to the completion of the
gubernatorial offices in Tanjung Pinang.

Regarding the appointment of a caretaker governor for the Riau
Islands, Yudi Kurnain, a newly elected member of the Batam City
Council said he hoped that there would be more progress on
Natuna, Karimun and Lingga regencies in terms of infrastructure.

"On the creation of the province, I had hoped for accelerated
development in these three regencies," said Yudi, explaining that
they lagged far behind Batam and Tanjung Pinang.

The appointment of a caretaker governor has put the
controversy surrounding the establishment of the province to an
end. The House of Representatives (DPR) itself recognized the
establishment of the new province through a law two years ago,
but the central government, for undisclosed reasons, dragged its
feet in recognizing the new province. In fact, it took two years
before the central government moved on Thursday to recognize the
new province.

One reason for the delay in official recognition was the
unwillingness of Natuna people to have their island incorporated
into the new province.