Local governor fails to attend new PWI congress
Local governor fails to attend new PWI congress
SEMARANG (JP): The opening ceremony of the congress of PWI
Reformasi, a splinter group of the Indonesian Journalists
Association (PWI), was held on Wednesday outside the building
designated to host the ceremony following a local government ban.
A letter dated March 21, 2000 and signed by Central Java
Deputy Governor of Administrative Affairs Achmad said the
association was prohibited from using the Grhadhika Bhakti Praja
building for the opening ceremony of the scheduled three-day
congress.
Governor Mardiyanto failed to attend the function, where he
was expected to deliver a speech. No local government officials
turned up.
Mardiyanto told the organizers in a letter he would be
officiating at a ceremony to install the new Purbalingga regent
on Wednesday.
The building, owned by the local administration, was locked.
But the ceremony went ahead, attended by some 100 participants
representing 26 provinces.
Coordinator of the group Budiman Hartojo said in his speech
that he regretted Mardiyanto's policy, saying the governor did
not recognize the 1999 Press Law which allows journalists to form
organizations under any name.
"I hope the governor can act impartially and avoid giving
preference to a certain journalists association," Budiman said.
Committee chairman Kastoyo Ramelan said organizers of the
congress would invite Mardiyanto to Bandungan, a hilly tourist
resort south of here were the main congress will be held, to
explain his policy.
Kastoyo blamed Mardiyanto's failure to open the congress on
miscommunication between the organizers and the governor.
"He (Mardiyanto) accepted our invitation and gave us
permission to use the building, but the time was too short for
him to arrange everything we needed," Kastoyo said.
As a result of the ban, the organizers moved back a discussion
on the national press to Thursday. Journalist and politician Eros
Djarot, artist Setiawan Djody, noted poet W.S. Rendra and mass
communication observer Darmanto Jatman are expected to speak at
the discussion. President Abdurrahman Wahid has also been
invited.
The association's first chairperson will be elected at the
congress on Friday. (har)