NGOs reject reconciliation with Sutiyoso

NGOs reject reconciliation with Sutiyoso

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Several non-governmental organizations (NGO) rejected last
Saturday an offer to reconcile with elected Governor Sutiyoso and
Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo, saying that they no longer trusted
the two officials.

Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post, commander of the
Islam Defenders Front (FPI) Jaffar Siddiq and chairman of the
Betawi Peoples Association (POB) Habib Marzuki considered that
the reconciliation offer was merely empty rhetoric.

"There's no problem with silaturrahim (reconciliation), as our
disagreement with Sutiyoso is not personal. But we no longer
trust him (Sutiyoso)," Jaffar said.

He believed that Sutiyoso and his administration would not
fulfill public aspirations, voiced during his first five-year
term, in his next one.

Habib supported Jaffar's opinion, saying the reconciliation
would only be an empty gesture in Sutiyoso's interest without any
real implementation in the future.

"They can offer reconciliation or whatever. But we are sure
that it will not be implemented," he said.

Both Marzuki and Jaffar agreed with other NGOs that they would
file a citizen's lawsuit demanding the court annul the recent
gubernatorial election result due to alleged irregularities.

FPI, POB and several other NGOs staged rallies earlier
against Sutiyoso. Several FPI and other NGO members were injured
during a rally in front of the City Council building on election
day, Sept. 11.

Fauzi revealed last Friday that he and Sutiyoso planned to
meet people who had earlier rejected their election as a part of
a reconciliation effort to optimize the city administration's
performance in the future.

"As a human being I will engage in silaturrahim, both with
those who supported and rejected us," Fauzi, currently serving as
city secretary, said.

However, he appreciated that the offer might not be accepted,
saying the administration would continue with or without the
support of those who disagreed with him.

Besides NGOs, the Justice Party also rejected the offer,
demanding that an investigation into the alleged irregularities
be conducted beforehand.

The NGOs, the Justice Party and the National Mandate Party
still could not accept the election result due to the
irregularities.

At least three councillors of the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle have admitted to voting in favor of Sutiyoso.

"There were 27 councillors from the party who marked their
ballots in support of Sutiyoso," councillor Audi I.Z. Tambunan
said last Friday.

Failed gubernatorial candidate Mahfudz Djaelani recently made
a shock confession that he had paid Rp 200 million to 40
councillors as a down payment on a bribe totaling Rp 2 billion if
the councillors had elected him as governor. Mahfudz, who only
secured three votes, later retracted his statement.

Sutiyoso and Fauzi secured 47 votes, more than half of the 84
councillors.