Sutiyoso blames public for his failure
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso delivered his accountability speech on Thursday, citing poor public discipline as the cause of various unsolved problems, including security, transportation, floods, and garbage.
"With the complexity of the problems and the fact that the city is still facing an economic crisis, I feel that a five-year term is not enough to solve the problems," Sutiyoso said at the City Council plenary session.
Before the session, hundreds of people, those demonstrating in favor and against the governor, staged rallies in the council compound on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta.
The session, which started at 1 p.m., was attended by 54 of the council's 84 councillors. The plenary session hall was full, mostly with the administration's officials and employees.
Sutiyoso, who was formerly the Jakarta Military Commander, asserted that his administration could not improve security conditions and public order due to lack of funds.
Besides the shortage of funds, he claimed that poor public discipline and understanding of the law also contributed to the current security and public order situation.
"The multidimensional crisis, the change in people's behavior, and the fewer job opportunities have all caused difficulties in upholding security and order," the retired lieutenant general said.
Last year, the administration allocated some Rp 45 billion (US$5 million) from the budget for its public order program.
Sutiyoso again blamed the chaotic transportation system in the city on the public's lack of discipline, besides the large number of vehicles.
"The problem is not in the transportation system, but how to educate public on traffic courtesy and to obey traffic regulations," he argued.
He revealed that the city's program for flood prevention was also hampered by the lack of funds.
He said the flood prevention program would take time since the fund from the current city budget and the state budget could not cover the total cost of the program.
On garbage management, Sutiyoso said the administration was still studying the best technology to manage the city's garbage, which amounted to 25,000 cubic meter per day.
"The current sanitary land fill system could cause environmental damage if we do not handle it with care," he said.
The agreement between the Jakarta administration and Bekasi municipality on the use of Jakarta's main garbage dump in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, will end in 2003.
Last year, Jakarta paid compensation amounting to Rp 14 billion to Bekasi to take measures to rectify the environmental damage in the garbage dump. The governor did not mention it in his speech.
Sutiyoso said the administration also had not yet completed the development of an Islamic center in North Jakarta and a Betawi cultural heritage area in Srengseng Sawah, South Jakarta.
He said the administration needed more funds from foreign and domestic investors to complete the development.
The City Council earlier recommended the administration investigate alleged corruption in the clearing of the 11-hectare land of the former Kramat Tunggak brothel for the development of the Islamic center.
Meanwhile, councillor Ajarta Sebayang of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) complained that Sutiyoso only blamed others, instead of looking at his administration's failure to resolve problems and finish needed programs.
"We are still 50-50 whether we will reject or accept his accountability speech," Ajarta told reporters after the session.
The council's 11 factions will deliver their views on the accountability speech next week. The factions will decide whether to accept or reject it on Aug. 12.
If Sutiyoso's accountability speech is rejected, it would end his chance to be reelected as governor.