Sutiyoso in command of flood response

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A crisis team has been set up by the city administration to deal with possible flooding in the coming weeks. With a total of 40,874 members, the team will assist residents in any flooded areas.

But who will have the power to declare an emergency in the city and decide on what efforts are needed to help victims.

"Of course the person in command will not be just a public order officer," Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday.

"I will give the command. I will decide what to do after I receive the reports from the crisis center officials," he said.

During the flooding of 2002, city residents worked together to evacuate flood victims, donate food and volunteer in temporary shelters and public kitchens across the city.

Sutiyoso was criticized for his administration's poor performance in dealing with the floods. However, he managed to get reelected for a second term last October after President Megawati Soekarnoputri threw her weight behind him.

With the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency predicting flooding in the capital in the coming weeks, the crisis center, under the authority of the City Public Order and Residents Protection Agency, has only begun to work on recruiting personnel, gathering equipment and preparing shelters.

An official said there was still no order from the "commander" to begin work. That order will come when the city is placed "on alert".