Mayor Subardi warned not to take full control

Mayor Subardi warned not to take full control

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon, West Java

Mayor Subardi was not seen at his office on Thursday, the day
after he was dismissed by the Cirebon Legislative Council, while
council leaders warned him against issuing strategic and crucial
policies for his administration.

Neither was he found at his official residence and his family
declined to reveal his whereabouts. The mayor's cellular phone
was switched off.

Local officials said the mayor was possibly in the West Java
capital of Bandung to attend an Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P) meeting, where party leader President Megawati
Soekarnoputri was present.

The council withdrew political support for Subardi and his
deputy Agus Alwafier, and dismissed them on Wednesday after only
eight months in office, accusing them of abuse of power.

Yet, the council is powerless to stop the mayor from
maintaining control over the municipal administration, pending
the approval of his dismissal by Minister of Home Affairs Hari
Sabarno.

"As the West Java governor and the home affairs minister are
investigating the dismissal decision, we prohibit the mayor and
the deputy mayor from issuing strategic and important policies,"
deputy council speaker Haries Sutamin of the National Awakening
Party (PKB) told a media conference.

He said the two were only allowed to carry out their
administrative functions in order to tackle the leadership vacuum
in Cirebon.

The strategic policies in question included replacing and
promoting officials, issuing bylaws and other binding
regulations, and making agreements with other parties, Haries
added.

"The decision of the council is final. Now we are going to
meet the West Java governor and the home affairs minister to
support and endorse it as a permanent decision," he asserted.

The media conference was attended by two other deputy council
speakers Soenaryo of the Golkar Party and Wawan Wanija of the
National Mandate Party (PAN).

Also present was Commission E chairman Enang Iman Gana, who
also heads the Justice and Unity Party faction in the council.

Council speaker Suryana, who was scheduled to chair the news
conference, could not attend as he had to meet Megawati's husband
Taufik Kiemas and West Java's PDI-P chairman Rudi Harsya Tanaya
at a party meeting in Bandung.

Suryana, speaking to The Jakarta Post by phone, claimed the
dismissal of Subardi was supported by PDI-P leaders in Jakarta
and West Java.

Haries further said the investigation into the case by the
governor and the home minister was merely to meet administrative
procedures, and would not conflict with the council's decision to
fire the mayor.

"In another words, the governor and the home affairs minister
are tasked with approving the council's decision," he added.

Soenaryo echoed Haries' statement, saying the council believes
that the governor and the central government would certainly take
the same stance against the Cirebon mayor.

One of the mayor's most serious mistakes was that he often
misused his power, Soenaryo said on Wednesday.

Citing as an example, he said Subardi launched a reshuffle of
officials at his administration without consulting the council
and the city's ranking and post supervisory board (Baperjakat).

Councillors also accused the mayor of corruption in connection
with the approval of several development projects.

Councillor Enang Iman Gana said the mayor often neglected his
duties, as he was frequently absent from his office.