Public urge council to reject Sutiyoso's accountability speech
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.