Speech must not be confused with impeachment: Expert

JAKARTA (JP): A regional administration expert told legislators and the public on Wednesday not to confuse the hearing sessions for governors' annual accountability speeches with forums to impeach the regional administration heads.

"We don't expect the governors to be easily overthrown. An accountability speech is a mere progress report. We expect the legislators to give their suggestions and warnings instead," Andi Mallarangeng, an expert staff member at the Office of the State Minister of Regional Autonomy, said in a discussion on the City Council's decision to reject Governor Sutiyoso's accountability speech last Thursday.

"It seems that councillors have an agenda of replacing the governors with their own candidates," he added.

The discussion also featured speakers, including former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin, councillor Posman Siahaan of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) faction and Sutiyoso himself.

The governor's annual accountability speech is regulated in Law No. 22/1999 on regional administration. The law also stipulates general criteria for councillors to impeach governors.

The central government, however, has yet to issue a decree on the annual speech mechanism, which has invited heated arguments due to different interpretations of the law.

Andi warned that easily dismissing a governor through the annual hearing session would be a bad precedence in Indonesian politics.

"We would then have a new governor, mayor, regent or even president every year if they could be impeached at the annual accountability sessions," he said.

"This will only delay development programs throughout the country and bring more difficulties to our residents," he added.

Meanwhile, Sutiyoso renewed his readiness to abide by any decision made by the City Council in his accountability speech.

"I've even prepared myself for the worst scenario if city councillors decide to reject my redrafted accountability speech next month. I will be a farmer," he told the participants.

"It's not a big problem for me as long as the councillors make an objective and reasonable assessment on my performance," he said, adding that he denied he had bribed the councillors to endorse his speech.

The council's majority vote to reject his accountability speech, however, does not automatically mean that Sutiyoso has to surrender his governorship.

The 1999 law regulates that a governor be given a 30-day deadline to revise the rejected accountability speech. If that speech is also rejected, the councillors can then recommend that the central government find a replacement.

Andi said the false interpretation of the essence of a governor's accountability speech had affected the governors' performances, as well as those of mayors and regents.

"The governors, regents, mayors and all of their subordinates can't provide normal public services when they have to concentrate on speeches to appease councillors. Every time they wake up in the morning, they only think about how to win the legislators' approval," he said.

Councillor Posman said he disagreed with a circular sent by State Minister of Regional Autonomy Ryaas Rasyid, which emphasized that the accountability speech session was not a forum to impeach any heads of regional administrations.

"If any of the councillors have sufficient evidence to accuse and impeach the governor, why not?" he asked.

"I found that Sutiyoso hadn't put all of his efforts into restoring order in the city. However, I cannot just put all the blame on him. We must also consider the present conditions," he said.

Demand

Meanwhile, Ali Sadikin demanded that the central government immediately issue a decree on the speech mechanism.

"It's important to give guidelines to all heads of regional administrations in order for them to perform their duties. Otherwise, we'll return back to the 1950s when cabinets could be overthrown at any time," he said.

"I also wonder who will control the councillors. If they can impeach a governor, why can't a governor dismiss them in return?" he asked.

All speakers in the discussion agreed to put the provincial police under the governor's control.

"This way, residents can demand Sutiyoso's responsibility for security affairs. Currently, Sutiyoso doesn't have any control over the city police," Ali said.

Meanwhile, Andi said that his office had formulated a proposal to be made to President Abdurrahman Wahid on measures to place the provincial police under the governors.

Earlier last week, all 26 Indonesian governors made a similar recommendation to the central government to place provincial police under the provinces' authority.

"This (new position) will enable governors to launch public order operations easier," Sutiyoso said. (nvn)