Susilo orders governors to 'stay put'

Susilo orders governors to 'stay put'

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has told governors from across
the country on Monday to avoid unnecessary overseas travel and
trips to the capital and instead stay in their provinces and
concentrate on regional issues.

In a closed-door briefing at the President's office which
lasted two hours, Susilo asked the governors to reduce their
trips, especially those abroad, and to build a relationship with
the people in their regions.

"All regional heads should spend most of their time in their
areas of jurisdiction and should avoid hanging around in Jakarta
too much," Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf said after the
briefing.

"They were also asked to limit unnecessary trips, especially
out of the country, and to be thrifty when using their regional
budgets."

Attending the briefing were all 33 governors in the country.
The governors, according to Law No. 32/2004 on regional
administrations, serve as the central government's provincial
representatives.

Susilo urged the governors to try to live up to people's
expectations and regularly communicate with their constituents,
Ma'ruf said.

"Be creative in dealing with people's aspirations and problems
in your regions through direct contact with the people," Susilo
was quoted by Ma'ruf as saying.

Susilo has used his first few days in office to share his
vision for his term with state officials and the bureaucracy.

Last week, he briefed his Cabinet and presidential palace
staff on the ground rules of his administration.

As he did with the Cabinet, Susilo warned the governors they
would face dismissal if they were found guilty of corruption
offenses.

"The President asked the governors to set an example as clean
officials and to fight graft," Ma'ruf said

However, the Ma'ruf said any dismissals would follow proper
procedures and would take place only after there was a binding
verdict from the Supreme Court.

Palace officials said there were prolonged discussions about
the implementation of the revised regional autonomy and fiscal
balance laws, issued recently by the government.

The governors also asked Susilo to issue a presidential decree
or government regulation enacting the new regional laws.

Susilo also ordered governors, who are implicated in graft or
other criminal cases, to communicate with the public.

If they obey Susilo's order, the public could soon expect
statements from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Governor Abdullah Puteh,
who is currently under investigation by the Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK), Gorontalo Governor Fadel Muhammad,
who was declared bankrupt last year, and Jakarta Governor
Sutiyoso, who has been declared a suspect in the 1996 attack on
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters.

Sutiyoso, who also chairs the Indonesia's Provincial
Administration Association (APPSI), said Susilo agreed to hold
regular consultations every 45 days with the governors.

"The meeting will be divided into regions -- Sumatra,
Sulawesi, Java and so on," Sutiyoso said.