Pressure mounts on central govt to dismiss Kampar regent

Pressure mounts on central govt to dismiss Kampar regent

Haidir Anwar Tanjung
The Jakarta Post
Pekanbaru, Riau

A local government official said on Tuesday that tens of
thousands of people would take to the streets of Kampar regency
on Wednesday to protest the central government's sluggishness in
handling the controversy surrounding the Kampar regent.

Idris, the head of the infrastructure section at the Kampar
administration's education office, said the mass protest was
agreed to during a meeting of representatives from Kampar society
on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by representatives of teachers,
students, civil servants and other elements of Kampar society.

"People are disappointed with the central government, which is
seen as sluggish in processing a proposal by Kampar councillors
to dismiss Regent Jefri Noer from his post," he said.

The regency legislature unanimously agreed to dismiss the
regent and his deputy last month, to put an end to protests by
teachers and students that had paralyzed public services and
education in the regency, located some 60 kilometers west of
Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province.

Students and teachers took to the streets for two weeks after
the regent threw a principal out of a meeting, an act they said
was an insult to the teaching profession.

The principal, Abdul Latief, was thrown out of the meeting
after questioning the amount of money that had been allocated for
education in the regency's 2004 budget.

According to the 1999 law on regional autonomy, the decision
by the Kampar legislature to dismiss the Kampar regent cannot be
executed unless it is endorsed by the central government.

It has been three weeks since the legislature voted to dismiss
the regent, but the central government has still not decided
whether to endorse the decision.

The final say lies in the hands of President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

Idris said that by taking to the streets on Wednesday, the
teachers, students and other elements of society would show the
central government that the loss of confidence in the Kampar
regent had spread throughout the community.

"The protest will show the true wishes of Kampar society," he
said.

He added that he had obtained a permit from the police, so the
planned march would be lawful.

The speaker of the Kampar regency council, Syaifuddin, said he
had been informed of the planned march.

He said he supported the rally because the majority of people
in Kampar had lost faith in the leadership of the regent.

"We regret the slow handling of his case by the central
government," he said.

Hari Sabarno, the minister of home affairs, previously hinted
that a decision on the Kampar regent would take time because a
team from the ministry was investigating the matter.

The outcome of the investigation will be presented to
President Megawati, who will give a final decision on the case.