Regent serves public 'not politicians'

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Regional autonomy has awarded local politicians more power than ever since its inception in 2000.

In the most extreme cases, the Lampung provincial councillors managed to dismiss their governor last year and the Surabaya municipal legislature fired its mayor in 2002.

But West Sumatra's Solok Regent Gamawan Fauzi said on Wednesday he managed to survive pressure on him from councillors in the regency, thanks to the support of the local people.

"Regional heads just need to make public service their top priority, rather than serving the councillors," said Gamawan, who on Tuesday won the Bung Hatta Anticorruption Award along with Padang-based Andalas University lecturer Saldi Isra.

"The councillors do not dare to interfere in your job if you are fully backed by the people, who are now free to express their aspirations."

Based on his observations, it was the nature of most regional councillors "to maximize their earnings".

"It is not surprising if regional legislature (DPRD) members propose constructions of their official residences that cost as much as rental fees on a house in Menteng," he said, referring to the upmarket area in Central Jakarta.

Gamawan said he did not hesitate to reject the proposed councillors' budget and instead asked them, in some informal talks, to revise it.

"Some DPRD members also refused to talk to me after I rejected their requests to employ their children in the administration. But they do not take revenge as they worry about the people's reaction," he said.

Prosecutors offices across the country are investigating councillors en masse about corruption involving budgets allocated for regional legislatures.

The Padang District Court recently convicted 43 provincial legislature members in for collective graft and sentenced them to terms of between two month's and two year's jail.

Gamawan was elected the Solok regent in 1995 with the support from the ruling Golkar Party. He won reelection in 2000 thanks to the backing of several other parties.

Observers say Gamawan proved his commitment to public service when he fired 10 employees and dismissed 10 other officials from their posts for taking or asking for bribes. Dozens of others received administrative penalties for their involvement in bribery or graft.

"I have implemented the anticorruption drive in several phases. We made an agreement to reject bribes and corruption. Consequently, I care about their welfare," Gamawan said.

He has also abolished honorariums for high-ranking employees, including himself, for their involvement in local government projects, although such payments are legitimate.

The Solok administration managed save some Rp 14 billion from the policy, he said.

The money instead was distributed proportionally to all 7,000 local government employees.

"Some officials may oppose it, but thousands of others stand behind me," Gamawan said. In the future, he plans to use the fund to raise the allowances for education, health and pension benefits.