Surabaya mayor Sunarto impeached
Surabaya mayor Sunarto impeached
Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya
The Surabaya legislative council held an open voting session
to impeach Mayor Sunarto Sumaprawiro and appoint his deputy
Bambang D.H. as the new mayor.
Some 31 of 45 legislators, who attended the legislature's
plenary session, voted for Sunarto's impeachment, while 12
opposed and two abstained.
The support for the impeachment came from legislators of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), a joint
faction, the Indonesian Military/National Police faction and the
National Awakening Party (PKB), while the 12 who opposed it were
from PDI Perjuangan, PKB and a joint faction.
The division among factions over Sunarto's leadership became
evident at the legislature's recent special session when some
members of the major factions opposed the proposed impeachment of
the major.
Most factions were of the same opinion that Sunarto was no
longer fit to do his job because of health, as was stipulated by
Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy.
The legislature proposed Sunarto's impeachment for his absence
during the last three months.
Most residents expressed dissatisfaction with Sunarto's
leadership as he had been absent when hundreds of tons of garbage
was abandoned at temporary dump sites across the city during
October and November last year.
He was in Melbourne for medical treatment when the garbage
problem was mounting.
Bambang, who attended the plenary session, was expected to be
sworn in as the new mayor to replace Sunarto in accordance with
Government Regulation No. 151/2001 on regional officials.
Sunarto, who arrived in the city from Melbourne on Sunday, was
absent from the meeting.
Bambang is a supporter of PDI Perjuangan.
The special session failed to determine Sunarto's fate as it
was not stipulated in Government Regulation No. 1/2001 on the
internal rules of legislatures.
"The decision is a bitter pill that we must take. All sides
must accept it as it is," said Basuki, who presided over the
plenary session.
On the sidelines of the plenary session, around 400 people,
who were for and against Sunarto's leadership, staged two
separate demonstrations, but they were not involved in any
clashes as five groups of security personnel were deployed to
guard the plenary meeting.
Bambang said he would hold a meeting with local businessmen to
seek their assistance to sort out the city's problems.
"We are facing many serious problems that need urgent action.
We will seek help from local businessmen to solve the problems,
in particular, environmental matters in the city," he said.
Separately, Governor Imam Utomo said Sunarto was allowed to
take the legislature to the State Administrative Court to be sued
if he objected to the decision.
"Cak Narto has the right to file a lawsuit against the
legislature's decision if he feels not guilty," he said.