Political party members sue Surabaya mayor for slander

Ainur R. Sophiaan and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya/Jakarta

The National Awakening Party (PKB) faction in Surabaya's legislative council is suing the city's mayor, Bambang Dwi Hartono, for libel, Ali Burhan, the council's deputy speaker, announced on Tuesday.

The lawsuit, which was signed by all members of the PKB faction, was filed with the East Java Police on Tuesday.

"Bambang told the public that the council had asked for Rp 200 million from him in a bid to smoothen his 2001 budget accountability report, which is slander," Burhan said

The statement, Burhan said, had been repeated by Bambang in a talk show with state radio RRI on July 12. He told the radio that the councillors had asked him for money to pave the way for their approval of the accountability report.

Burhan demanded the police thoroughly investigate the case because it would put the image of the legislative body at stake.

He said the councillors' criticism of Bambang's accountability report was solely aimed at improving the performance of the city administration.

"The police should verify the case to enforce the supremacy of the law. If his accusation is proven wrong, Bambang will be guilty of both defaming the councillors and for being in contempt of the legislature," he said.

PKB was the only faction to reject the report, which was presented during a plenary meeting on June 13. The meeting decided to give Bambang a chance to review his report on July 11, which he failed to respond do. His absence in the second plenary meeting led to the council's vote of no confidence.

Bambang kept silent on the issue and was not available for comment on Tuesday.

In Jakarta, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno leapt to the defense of Bambang, saying the central government had no plan to revoke the decree naming the latter the mayor of Surabaya.

"Of course, both the governor of East Java and I are surprised that local councillors have called for the mayor's dismissal. They had initially demanded we install Bambang, but now they want us to remove him. What kind of maneuver is this?" Hari asked.

Hari added the government was working on a plan to set up an independent team to investigate the motion to dismiss Bambang by the council.