Public urge council to reject Sutiyoso's accountability speech

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Public rejection of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso heightened as dozens of people staged a protest at Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Monday, calling on the City Council to reject Sutiyoso's accountability statement.

Unfurling banners and distributing stickers to motorists, members of the Jakarta Residents Movement (GWJ), criticized Sutiyoso's poor performance.

"Sutiyoso has failed to lead the city during his five-year term. The city has become more chaotic," the group's spokeswoman, former model Titi Qadarsih, said.

Titi said Sutiyoso, who was formerly the Jakarta Military Commander, could not uphold order and security in the city and even tolerated armed civilian militia groups.

Sutiyoso failed to improve transportation and other public services, he even reduced public space and green areas by his decision to install fences along the National Monument (Monas) Park.

"So many reasons could be used by the councillors to reject Sutiyoso's accountability statement," Titi said.

GWJ is a coalition of several non-governmental organizations, including the Jakarta Residents Forum, Professional Society for Democracy (MPD) and Indonesian Women Coalition (KPI).

Sutiyoso's accountability statement, which will be delivered on Thursday, will be evaluated by the city's 85 councillors. later in the day, the councillors will then decide by vote whether they accept it or not.

Councillor Ugiek Soegihardjo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) claimed that many of his friends would reject Sutiyoso's accountability statement.

"It's still 50-50 whether we will reject or accept it. We will hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide our stance," Ugiek told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He rejected the assumption that as the party's central board had nominated Sutiyoso for the next gubernatorial election, it would automatically accept his accountability statement.

As the largest party with 30 seats in the council PDI Perjuangan will play a pivotal role in determining whether Sutiyoso's accountability statement is accepted.

Councillor Mukhayar R.M. of the Justice Party said that his faction had decided to reject Sutiyoso's accountability speech although it had not yet been presented.

"Our rejection is accumulative as we also rejected Sutiyoso's earlier accountability statements," Mukhayar said.

The Justice Party which has only four seats and the National Mandate Party (PAN) which has 13 seats also plans to reject the accountability statement.

Separately, the secretary of the Jakarta Study Center (PPJ) Ganda Hutabarat said if Sutiyoso's accountability statement was rejected, according to Law 22/1999 on regional autonomy and Government Regulation No. 108 on gubernatorial elections, Sutiyoso could not be a candidate for governor.

"According to the law, if his accountability is rejected, he cannot name himself as a gubernatorial candidate," Ganda said on Monday.

However, Sutiyoso claimed on Monday that his accountability statement would be accepted by the council as all his previous annual reports had been accepted.

"But if the council employs other reasons, such as political reasons, it could also be rejected," Sutiyoso told reporters at City Hall.

Sutiyoso's term will end in October.