Minister rejects Sunarto's impeachment
Minister rejects Sunarto's impeachment
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno rejected the recent
impeachment by the Surabaya legislative assembly of Mayor Sunarto
Sumaprawiro, saying Sunarto was still the legitimate mayor.
"Although the legislative assembly has impeached Mayor
Sunarto, the problem remains whether the decision is acceptable
to the Ministry of Home Affairs or not," Antara quoted the
minister as saying here on Sunday.
The legislative assembly last week impeached Sunarto because
he was considered to be no longer capable of performing his day-
to-day duties after being absent for several months while
receiving medical treatment overseas. The Surabaya legislature
appointed Deputy Mayor Bambang D.H. as the new mayor.
Hari warned that at present only the home affairs minister had
the authority to appoint and discharge mayors and not the
relevant legislative assemblies.
"It's not a matter of supporting or of not supporting, nor one
of liking or disliking. The legislative assembly should have
established a team to determine whether Sunarto was no longer
capable of performing his duties so as to allow the legislature
to propose to the home affairs minister a reshuffle in the city
administration," he said.
Referring to the 1999 Law on Regional Autonomy, Hari said that
mayors and regents could be discharged only if they were found
guilty of a crime during their tenure.
He said he hoped the legislative assembly would review its
decision on Sunarto's impeachment.
Meanwhile, Surabaya legislators are ignoring the home affairs
ministry's statement, saying the legislative assembly's decision
on the impeachment was final.
"The decision is final and it's impossible for the legislative
assembly to hold a special session to annul it," Herman Rivai, a
member of the Surabaya legislature, said when asked about his
response to the home affairs minister's statement.
Herman said further that the impeachment had been conducted in
accordance with the official procedures and had been supported by
a majority of the legislative assembly members.
"The impeachment is not a proposal but a decision which was
made by a plenary session in accordance with the law. The
legislative assembly has the power to make such a decision," he
said.
He questioned the use of regional autonomy if the legislative
assembly lacked the power to make such a decision, or if the
minister had the authority to annul decisions of the legislative
assembly.
Herman, also a member of the joint faction in the legislative
assembly, called on Hari Sabarno to refrain from making any more
comments on Sunarto's impeachment before receiving an official
report from the city legislature.
The Surabaya legislative assembly was scheduled to meet with
the home minister here on Tuesday for the purpose of receiving
its report on the mayor's impeachment.