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.