Students occupy offices in Kampar
Students occupy offices in Kampar
Chaidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau
About 1,000 students from several universities have occupied the
offices of the Kampar regent and local legislature (DPRD) here,
demanding that Kampar Regent Jefri Noer and his deputy, A. Zakir,
relinquish their posts immediately.
They plan to occupy the two buildings until their demands are
met.
The protesters warned Wednesday of potential violence should
Jefry and Zakir refuse to meet their demands.
"Our goal is clear: we shall paralyze the administration of
Kampar regency," said Eka Suma Hamid, chairman of the Presidium
of the Alliance of Concerns about Kampar (APKR) during a protest
in Bangkinang, the capital of Kampar regency.
He added the protesters would occupy the buildings at least
for the next seven days to force Jefri and Zakir to relinquish
office immediately.
During the demonstration, protesters urged Riau Governor Saleh
Djasit and police chief Brig. Gen. Deddy S. Komaruddin to meet
the protesters.
They also demanded that home affairs minister Hari Sabarno
dismiss both Jefri and Zakir.
Commenting on the demonstration, Jefri said that those
demonstrating against his leadership were not students, but paid
protesters.
"No, it's not true. Students are not occupying the buildings,
but people who have been paid to do so," Jefri said.
Riau legislature voted for the impeachment of Jefri and Zakir
on Oct. 12, 2002. Thirty of a total 45 councillors voted for the
impeachment.
The impeachment demand was based on a number of grounds,
including the pair's poor performance over the past eleven months
and the disclosure that Jefri's senior technology school diploma
was a fake.
Jefri has also been opposed for his controversial policies and
statements on numerous problems, all of which have reportedly
caused confusion among local people.
Hari, however, asked the legislative council to review its
decision on the impeachment, which he considered to be in
contradiction of the 1999 regional autonomy law.
The minister, in his letter delivered to the legislature on
Nov. 5, 2002, insisted that before proposing a no-confidence
vote, both the regent and his deputy should have been given an
opportunity to explain the wrongdoings of which they had been
accused.
The minister added that the legislative council should comply
with official procedures, as required by Regulation No. 108/2000
on the replacement of officials in regions, if it wanted the pair
to be replaced.
The regulation requires the legislative council to accord the
regent an opportunity to respond to all matters cited in the
accusations. If the regent's clarification were rejected, the
legislative council would be allowed to propose that the home
minister, via the governor, replace him.