Kampar administration, schools return to normal
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau
Work at the Kampar district administration in Riau returned to normal on Friday after three days of paralysis caused by protests against its much-derided regent.
Civil servants, teachers and students, who had spearheaded weeks of demonstrations to press for the dismissal of regent Jefri Noer, resumed working after their demand was heeded by the central government.
Ilyas Harun, head of the Kampar Regional State Personnel Agency (BAKD), confirmed the return of all civil servants to work after Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno issued a decree suspending Jefri.
However, he said local officials could not take strategic policies until after Riau Governor Rusli Zainal gave directives.
The governor was appointed by Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sarbano to temporarily take over the district administration and name a caretaker to take charge of it.
Ilyas said his office had suspended activities for more than a month -- since the Kampar legislative council voted to oust Jefri. The dismissal was officially effective only after it was approved by Hari.
Idris, a senior official at the local education and sports office, said schools in the province had restarted a day after local people greeted Jefri's suspension with joyful celebrations.
To overcome the study time lost by students who joined the demonstrations, teachers had agreed to allocate additional hours for teaching, so their charges would be prepared to face upcoming exams, Idris said.
With the additional teaching hours effective for two weeks, students would have classes until late afternoon, he said.
Meanwhile, local people planned to hold a week-long party to celebrating the ousting of Jefri and his deputy A. Zakir slaughtering buffaloes to mark the occasion.
The "People's Party", to he held at the Mahligai Bungsu Building from March 27 to April 4, would feature traditional dances and modern music. The building was the spot where thousands of protesters gathered on Tuesday, two of whom were shot by police.
"So far, we have received nine buffaloes in donations from local people for the party," local resident Putra said.
He said the people would also paint and clean up the building that became dirty after being used by the demonstrators.
A day after his suspension was approved by the central government, Jefri could not still be reached for comment on Friday.
He was reportedly in Jakarta along with Governor Rusli to meet regional autonomy director-general Oentarto Sindung Mawardi at the home affairs ministry.
Jefri had been under fire since February when he reportedly ordered a principal to leave a meeting after the principal questioned him about the district's low budget for education.
The expulsion was seen an insult to the teaching profession, and local teachers and principals launched major protests against the regent.