Regent serves public 'not politicians'

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.