S. Kalimantan governor reports on performance

S. Kalimantan governor reports on performance

Juliansyah, The Jakarta Post, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan

South Kalimantan governor Sjachriel Darham presented on Thursday
a progress report on his administration's performance in 2002 to
the provincial legislative council.

In a plenary session, at which the provincial legislature
chairman was absent, the governor claimed to have achieved some
progress in many areas over the last 12 months, so the provincial
legislative had no real reasons not to accept it.

He said his administration had generated a higher increase in
the province's revenue than the original target.

"The province's revenue reached Rp 542.1 billion, an increase
of Rp 4 billion over the targeted Rp 538 billion, while the
government's income reached Rp 212 billion, an increase of about
15 percent above the targeted Rp 191.6 billion. The province's
income from the fiscal balance of the central government reached
Rp 285.5 billion," he said.

He said the government's income rose by almost 80 percent to
Rp 212 billion last year, from Rp 130.7 billion in 2001.

"We have also made improvements in the province's
expenditures. According to the 2002 budget, the provincial
administration allocated Rp 313 billion to cover all routine
expenditures in 20 sectors, but we have saved more than Rp 39
billion from this area, while from a total of 146 development
projects we have saved Rp 42 billion. All the funds will go to
the 2003 budget," said Sjachriel, who received applause from a
number of councillors.

The governor challenged the provincial legislative council to
audit the progress report if they found any irregularities in the
distribution of the budget.

"So, we are optimistic that the provincial legislative council
will accept the progress report without comment," he said.

Sjachriel has been involved in a serious rift with the
provincial legislative council over the council's decision to
dismiss him last August. The governor was impeached in a plenary
session, but Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno ruled it out.

According to the regional autonomy law, a provincial
legislature has no authority to impeach a governor, who is
appointed by the president.

According to Government Regulation No. 108/1999, a provincial
legislature could recommend the dismissal of a governor if the
governor's progress report is rejected or he is involved in
crimes.

Mansyah, a strong opponent of Sjachriel, was unable to attend
the plenary session over which he was to preside, because he was
in Jakarta attending the meeting of the Association of
Indonesia's Provincial Legislative Councils.

The chairman of the Golkar Party faction, Addy Chairuddin, and
the chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, were
also absent from the plenary meeting.

Addy said the Golkar Party faction would not join in
evaluating the governor's progress report, because the
legislature had yet to enforce its decision on the governor's
dismissal.

"According to my faction and the council's decision, Sjachriel
is no longer governor," he said.

Dahri concurred and lambasted councillors attending the
plenary session, saying their actions betrayed the legislature's
decision.

Yusri Assaid, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, called for the establishment
of a special committee to evaluate the governor's progress report
objectively.

The council was scheduled to announce their acceptance or
rejection of the governor's progress report in mid-April.