PDI councilors are 'too busy'

JAKARTA (JP): Business at party headquarters means city councilors from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction have to spend most of their time outside the City Council building.

Faction chairman Lukman Mokoginta told Governor Surjadi Soedirdja on Monday that the 13 PDI councilors have been too busy with party affairs resulting from the government-sponsored congress in Medan, North Sumatra, last month to carry out their work as councilors.

"We told the governor that from now on most of the faction's members will not be able to spend most of their time fulfilling their job as councilors as usual," Lukman, who was accompanied by Ismunandar, told reporters.

However, Lukman added, the faction's office will not be empty, nor will the seats be deserted. At least two councilors will be on duty every day, he added.

"The governor told us that he understood our position, and urged us to continue contributing as best we could to the city council," he said.

Lukman said, however, that the PDI councilors will be ready for any meetings on the council's agenda. "Although, maybe only eight or nine of us will be able to attend the meetings," he said.

Ismunandar said that the condition will be continued until the party's problems are settled. (yns)