New councilors to be installed on July 18

JAKARTA (JP): All 75 candidates nominated for the City Council, including the only one from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), have said they are willing to become councilors in the 1997 to 2002 council.

The PDI's representative, Lukman F. Mokoginta, who is the incumbent chairman of the PDI faction, said in a statement to the City Election Committee last Tuesday that he was willing to serve as a councilor.

The election committee's secretary, Bagus Suharyono, said the PDI faction having only one councilor would create problems.

It would be difficult for PDI's councilor to be on all the council's five commissions, he said.

"Theoretically, it's possible for the PDI councilor to become a member of all the commissions, but in practice, it's impossible for him to participate in all commissions. What happens if several commissions hold meetings at the same time?," Bagus asked Saturday.

Bagus, who heads the city's directorate of social and political affairs, said the most reasonable solution was for the PDI member to participate only in council plenary sessions.

"Before any plenary session, the PDI councilor could ask for information from his colleagues," Bagus said.

The 75 selected councilors still need to be approved by the minister of home affairs, Moch. Yogie S.M, before being installed on July 18.

The chairman of the United Development Party's (PPP) city branch, Rusydi Hamka, said all PPP candidates nominated had also submitted statements to the election committee saying they were willing to serve as councilors.

"None of them rejected their nomination," the party's first candidate, Rusydi, said Saturday.

He said the party had not yet determine who would chair its faction.

"The new members will hold a meeting to determine the faction's chairman later," Rusydi said.

A training course is scheduled for the new councilors from July 15 to July 16.

Among the speakers at the course will be Governor Surjadi Soedirdja and the head of the city's directorate of social and political affairs, Bagus Suharyono.

In the May 29 general election, the three contestants -- PDI, PPP and Golkar -- competed for 60 council seats.

The remaining 15 seats are reserved for the Armed Forces (ABRI), whose members who do not vote.

PPP won 20 council seats, Golkar 39 and PDI one.

Presently, Golkar has 31 seats, PPP 15, PDI 14 and ABRI 15.

Of PPP's 20 new councilors, only four are serving councilors. They are Djafar Badjeber from West Jakarta, Chisbiyah Rochim from Central Jakarta, Saud Rachman from North Jakarta and Helmy AR Syihab from South Jakarta.

Among the 15 councilors ABRI have appointed are serving councilors Col. Hotma Tambunan, Col. Suratto Siswodihardjo and Col. Sumekar Kartawijaya.

The withdrawal of Golkar's first candidate, Tadjus Sobirin, and the death of councilor Fauzie Ibrahim, who was 17th on the candidates list, meant replacements had to be found.

The replacements were the chairman of the Indonesian Journalists Association's city branch, Tarman Azzam, and Djambi M.T.

Only seven of Golkar's 39 councilors are serving councilors. They are were Ade Supriatna, Amarullah Asbah, Mrs. Silviana Murni, H.M.U. Fatomy Asaari, Ali Wongso H. Sinaga, Nasrul Armans, Saamin and Nitra Arsyad.

Of the new councilors, the youngest is 33-year-old Ali Imron Husen from PPP, while the oldest is 66-year-old H.W. Imron from Golkar.

The youngest and the oldest councilors will chair the first council session after the new councilors are installed. The first session will choose the council's speaker and deputy speakers. (ste)