Kampar legislators urged to be calm over regent's impeachment
Kampar legislators urged to be calm over regent's impeachment
Haidir Anwar Tandjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru
Riau Governor Saleh Djasit called on the Kampar legislative
council to stay calm in seeking a solution to a dispute with
Kampar Regent Jefri Noer and his deputy A. Zakir that led to
their impeachment recently.
"I'm asking all sides to remain cool-headed and comply with
the rules of the game in order to prevent the problem from having
negative consequences for the local people in the regency," he
said prior to a meeting with 30 legislators supporting Jefri
Noer's impeachment here on Saturday.
The legislators from five factions supporting Jefri's
impeachment met the government to win its support for the move.
Thirty out of a total of 45 members of the Riau legislature
cast their votes in favor of the impeachment of Jefri and of
Zakir based upon a proposal from a majority of people in the
regency on Oct. 12, 2002.
Jefri has been opposed for his controversial policies and
statements on numerous problems, all of which had caused
confusion among the local people.
The impeachment gained political support from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Indonesian
Military/National Police, Golkar Party, United Development Party
(PPP) and National Awakening Party (PKB). The proposal was
opposed by the National Mandate Party (PAN), who had nominated
the pair during the regency election.
Syaifuddin Effendy, speaker of the legislature, said that the
legislature would go ahead with its plan to elect a new regent
and deputy regent in the near future.
Saleh hinted that the legislative council should wait until
next month to let the regent unveil his progress report. He said
the legislature was allowed to reject the regent's progress
report providing an opportunity for legislators to propose a no-
confidence motion against the pair to the home affairs ministry.
He warned that a new problem would rise if the legislature
went ahead with its plan to hold a new regency election as this
went against the 1999 regional autonomy rules.
"While waiting a decision on an impeachment decree from the
home affairs minister, it would be better for the legislature to
remain cool-headed and seek an amicable solution to the problem,"
he said.
He added that he would immediately set up a team to
investigate the case and its results would be forwarded as input
for the minister to help solve the problem.
Jefri's impeachment followed the impeachment of two Surabaya
mayors, Sunarto and Bambang D.H., and of the South Kalimantan
Governor, Sjachriel Darham.