Kampar legislature asked to review decision

Kampar legislature asked to review decision

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru

Home Minister Hari Sabarno asked the Kampar, Riau, legislative
council to review its decision on the impeachment of the regent
and deputy regent, which he considered in contradiction to the
1999 regional autonomy law.

The minister, in his letter delivered to the legislature on
Nov. 5, 2002, insisted that before proposing a no-confidence
vote, both the regent and his deputy should have been given an
opportunity to clarify the wrongdoings they had been accused of.

The minister's letter reached the legislature on Monday and
was received by chairman of the Kampar legislative council
Saifuddin Effendy.

The legislative council impeached Regent Jefri Noer and his
deputy A. Zakir in a plenary session on Oct. 12, 2002, for a
variety of reasons. The main reasons were that the pair's
performance in the past eleven months had been poor, Jefri had
issued several controversial regulations in the regency and his
senior technological school diploma was a fake.

Of the total 45 members of the legislature, 30 legislators,
from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan), Golkar Party, United Development Party (PPP),
National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Indonesian
Military/National Police factions, supported the pair's
impeachment while the remaining 15, from the National Mandate
Party faction, opposed it.

Saifuddin said over the weekend that the legislative council
would hold a plenary session to elect a new regent and deputy to
replace the pair. While asking the legislators to keep their
cool, Riau Governor Saleh Djasit said he would establish an
inquiry team to investigate the matter.

The home minister said in his letter, a copy of which made
available to The Jakarta Post, that the legislative council
should comply with the official procedure as it was required by
Government Regulation No. 108/2000 on the replacement of
officials in regions, if it wanted the pair to be replaced.

The regulation requires the legislative council to afford the
regent the opportunity to respond to all matters cited in the
accusations. If the regent's clarification were rejected, the
legislative council would be permitted to propose that the
President, via the home minister, replace him.

According to the regional autonomy law, only the president has
authority to dismiss regional officials. Legislatures are allowed
to impeach governors, regents and mayors only if they are
declared guilty in court.

Meanwhile, Regent Jefri hailed the minister's letter, saying
he was ready to present the progress report on his
administration's accountability before the legislators at any
time the legislative council wished him to do so.

"According to the minister's letter, the legislative council's
decision (on the impeachment) was invalid.

"If the legislature wants me to be replaced, it should hold a
plenary session to ask for my accountability statement and an
explanation on all things of which I have been accused," he said.

Saifuddin declined to make any comment on the minister's
letter, saying that he would take it to the upcoming plenary
session for its response.