Kaimoeddin rejected as acting governor
KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: The legislature (DPRD) in Southeast Sulawesi has expressed opposition to government plans to appoint La Ode Kaimoeddin as acting governor after the governor and vice governor were accused of money politics.
Deputy DPRD speaker Andrey Djufri said on Wednesday the caretaker should be someone from the home affairs ministry office.
Southeast Sulawesi had elected Ali Mazi and running mate Yusran Silondae as governor and deputy governor respectively for the 2002-2007 period, but their inaugurations, originally scheduled for Dec. 23, were delayed indefinitely to give authorities enough time to probe allegations of money politics.
Kaimoeddin, the incumbent Southeast Sulawesi governor, said earlier that Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno had appointed him as the acting governor. -- Antara
Buleleng prone to landslides
DENPASAR, Bali: Some locations in the hilly area of Buleleng regency in Bali are prone to landslides, therefore residents should be alert, the local regent says.
Buleleng Regent Putu Bagiada said on Wednesday that potential landslides did not only occur in the area of Pancasari and Gitgit, but also Banjar and Tejakula.
Besides unstable land, most of the forest in the area was gone.
Deforestation has been on the rise since the reform era, he said.
The regent said last year's floods and mudslides had claimed at least four lives and damaged dozens of houses in Tejakula.
Putu Bagiada warned people of possible floods, urging them to stay alert. He said the public administration had assigned some rescue teams to deal with possible disasters. -- Antara
PWI mulls sanction for member
BATAM, Riau: The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) has pledged to punish its member identified as MWD, 51, for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of eight luxury cars.
"If his involvement (in the smuggling) is proven, we will impose a penalty," said Batam PWI chairman Socrates on the sidelines of a PWI meeting here on Tuesday night.
The meeting was convened especially to discuss the alleged involvement of MWD in the smuggling.
MWD was accused of manipulating export-import documents issued by the Trade and Industry Office in Batam. However, MWD denied any wrongdoing, saying that the actor was a man identified as UJ.
The smuggling case was disclosed when police discovered that the cars, imported from Singapore via Batu Ampar Port, would be used for taxis.
Since April, 2002 the Batam mayoralty has banned the importation of used cars in order to reduce traffic congestion. -- Antara
Children suffer from damaged schools
BANDUNG, West Java: About 75 percent of elementary school students in Garut regency, West Java, can not have effective education due to damaged school buildings.
Head of the education office Dardjo Sukardja said he hoped the rehabilitation funds from the national education ministry could be spent on renovating 24 school buildings.
Dardjo said he planned to seek funds from the provincial administration.
At present, there are 268,706 elementary school pupils studying at 1,526 schools in Garut.
About 75 percent of them or 210,530 students could not attend regular classes because 1,145 buildings were severely damaged.
Local councillors Barman Cahyana and Wan Gunawan expressed regret over the unfavorable condition. -- Antara