More councillors sought to reject Sutiyoso's speech
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The number of city councillors who have rejected Governor Sutiyoso's accountability speech increased on Friday, but it still falls short of the required figure to win the battle.
At least 38 councillors from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP), the Justice Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Crescent And Star Party (PBB) and the United Party will likely reject the accountability speech.
But in order to win, the number needs to reach more than half of Jakarta's 84 councillors.
Councillor Ugiek Soegihardjo of PDI Perjuangan claimed that at least nine of his party's 30 councillors had stated they would reject the accountability speech.
"The number will increase. We will continue to influence our friends to reject the accountability speech," Ugiek told reporters at the City Council on Friday.
He said the rejection was based on the administration's poor performance, particularly its inability to stamp out corruption and collusion.
Beside himself, Ugiek claimed the remaining eight councillors were the party's city chapter chairman, Tarmidi Suhardjo, Tarmidi Edy Suwarno, Sumiyati Sukarno, Ajarta Sebayang, Dadang Hamdani, Stefanus Surahmat, Gatot Setiabudi and Sofyan Sauri.
PAN's faction chairman, Nazamuddin, stated firmly his party would reject Sutiyoso's accountability speech as the city administration had failed to perform well
"We will be consistent and reject his accountability speech," councillor Nazamuddin said.
Besides PAN, which has 13 councillors, half of PPP's 12 councillors, the Justice Party's four councillors, PKB's three councillors, the Crescent and Star Party's two councillors and the United Party's one councillor will also reject the accountability speech.
PPP's faction chairman, Chudlary Syafei Hadzami, stated earlier that his faction would support PDI Perjuangan's nomination of Sutiyoso.
Chudlary, who was the council's deputy chairman, claimed his faction decided to nominate himself as a vice governor to accompany Sutiyoso.
But six PPP councillors disagreed with Chudlary's decision, and they decided earlier to reject Sutiyoso.
Sutiyoso's support is predicted to come from 21 PDI Perjuangan councillors, nine councillors of the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction, eight councillors from Golkar Party, six councillors from PPP, and three councillors from several small parties.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also chairman of PDI Perjuangan, had earlier issued a directive for PDI Perjuangan councillors to support Sutiyoso's nomination and had threatened to take action against those who would not.
The directive has upset some members, including councillor Sumiyati because the party's city chapter had earlier nominated Tarmidi Suhardjo as a candidate in the next gubernatorial election on Sept. 17.
Sumiyati admitted her rejection of the accountability speech was related to the nomination.
"It will be a kind of protest vote by our grass-rooted supporters who nominated Tarmidi and rejected Sutiyoso," Sumiyati said.
She added she was ready to face any punishment meted out by the party's central board for rejecting Sutiyoso's nomination.
Supporters of the party have rejected Sutiyoso, who was Jakarta's former military commander, for his alleged involvement in the bloody attack on the party's headquarters in Central Jakarta on July 27, 1996.