New 'senator' to empower proletariat
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Modest, consistent and reliable were claims that Sarwono Kusumaatmadja made of himself in his campaign prior to the April 5 election for members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) from Jakarta.
Stickers carrying his face and slogan could be found in every Kosti Jaya taxi as he acts as an advisor to the taxi company. His rally at the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, was attended by more than 1,000 taxi drivers from Kosti Jaya, among others.
Sarwono claimed that his experiences in empowering shoemakers in Cibaduyut, Bandung, and Kosti taxi drivers in Jakarta, Surakarta and Semarang, would help him empower the people to support his programs in education, health and social welfare.
Citing an example, he mentioned a man who had provided financial aid for a third party who was in dire need but unable to apply for a formal bank loan.
"I will build a system whereby all constituents can share information on their resources. They will help each other through the system," he said.
From 1968 to 1970, Sarwono helped Cibaduyut shoemakers to set up a cooperative, while from 1988 to 1993 he helped set up farmers cooperatives in Cirebon and Bekasi, West Java.
Just days after he garnered the most votes for Jakarta member of the DPD, along with Mooryati Soedibyo, Biem Triani Benjamin and Marwan Batubara, Sarwono was keenly discussing various urban problems with his campaign officials.
"I'm a man with power, therefore I must do something for those that put their trust in me," he told The Jakarta Post recently.
While the election law only says DPD members should meet once a year, Sarwono has other plans.
"If I just stick to my official job, as stipulated by the law, I will be unproductive. I know there is a lot of work to do," he said.
With 17 years of experience as a member of the House of Representatives (DPR), Sarwono knows too well that the newly establish DPD needs bigger authority when it teams up with the DPR for the People's Legislative Assembly (MPR).
"For the time being, I can't talk much about it. I still have to consult with experts on constitutional law to determine what kind of authority the DPD could have," he said.
The amended 1945 Constitution entrusts DPD members with the right to initiate legislation on regional autonomy, relations between the central and regional administrations, the establishment of autonomous regions, resource management and revenue-sharing between the central and regional administrations.
To help the four members of the DPD in responding to the complaints of constituents, it had earlier been proposed that the city administration would establish a joint secretariat with the DPD.
"Our service to our constituents is not clearly outlined in the regulation. Therefore, we need a legal basis such as a bylaw for the establishment of the secretariat," he said.