Pressures up over regent
Pressures up over regent
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau
Thousands of teachers and students in Kampar regency, some 60
kilometers west of the Riau capital of Pekanbaru, took to the
streets again on Wednesday, forcing schools in the regency to
close for a second day.
Unlike the first day of the protest on Tuesday when
demonstrators occupied government offices, the students and
teachers descended on the office of Kampar Regency Council on
Wednesday.
Some of them occupied the council building, and demanded that
the councillors hold a plenary meeting to oust Kampar Regent
Jefri Noer.
The representatives of the protesters were eventually able to
meet with top councillors in the council building.
The protesters demanded the councillors remove the Kampar
Regent from his post within two days.
"The councillors have to establish a committee to hold a
plenary meeting immediately. We will close all schools until our
demand is met. The regent has to either resign or be dismissed,"
said Nurhadi, a representative of the protesters, from Tapung
district.
Nurhadi said that the demand was valid, because the regent had
insulted the teaching profession. Nurhadi claimed the regent had
given little attention to education, by allocating only 5 percent
out of a total budget Rp 700 billion (US$82.8 million) for
education.
The Constitution requires that a regional government allocates
at least 20 percent of its total budget for education, he said.
A similar protest was previously raised by teacher Abdul
Latief in a meeting on Thursday last week between the regent and
the teachers in the regency.
In the meeting, the regent ordered Abdul Latief to leave the
room, because he questioned the regent's education budget.
The regent's outburst caused a backlash, as teachers and
students began to protest on Tuesday, to demand that the regent
resign.
Meanwhile, in response to demands by the protesters, Nurbit, a
councillor from Golkar Party, said that he agreed that the
councillors must establish a committee and hold a plenary meeting
soon.
But, Kampar Regency Council speaker, Syaifuddin, asked
protesters to exercise self-restraint.
He said in the meeting with protesters on Wednesday that not
all representatives in the council's factions were present on
that day, so it would take time to assemble them and convene a
plenary meeting.
"We will convene a meeting between the 45 councillors tonight
(Wednesday night), so that we can discuss the demand soon," he
said.
After the meeting, the protesters demanded the addresses of
all of the councillors, so that the protesters could pressure
them to attend the plenary meeting.