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.