Sutiyoso opponents back off amid heavy security
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The inauguration of Sutiyoso and Fauzi Bowo as, respectively, Jakarta governor and deputy governor for the 2002 to 2007 term took place smoothly on Monday without the demonstrations that had originally been planned by a number of non-governmental organizations.
The ceremony, however, proceeded amid tight security as over 1,000 security officers were deployed around the City Council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih, the venue of the ceremony, and its adjacent building, City Hall, Jl. Merdeka Selatan, both in Central Jakarta.
Two rows of razor wire were also installed along the perimeter fences of the City Council and City Hall sites. Five water cannon, several ambulances and bomb squad vehicles were on standby in the grounds of the two buildings.
Fearing anti-Sutiyoso demonstrations, the organizers of the inauguration ceremony had also prepared an alternative venue at the Jakarta Fair Ground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
But no anti-Sutiyoso demonstrators appeared on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan and Jl. Kebon Sirih when Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, on behalf of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, installed the gubernatorial pairing at the 45-minute ceremony.
Supporters of Sutiyoso and Fauzi deployed some 1,000 demonstrators on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan and Jl. Kebon Sirih. The demonstrators had been stationed there since 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Only about 50 anti-Sutiyoso demonstrators from the Democratic People's Party (PRD) arrived at Jl. Kebon Sirih at around 11:30 a.m., after the ceremony had already finished.
On Sunday, a number of non-governmental organizations stated that they would deploy tens of thousands of demonstrators on the streets during the inauguration.
Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Edmond Ilyas also confirmed that 14 organizations had registered with the police to stage rallies on Monday.
The situation on Monday was in stark contrast to that on election day, Sept. 11, when the police were forced to use helicopters to carry councillors and Sutiyoso from the city police headquarters to the City Council building as all surface routes to City Hall and the City Council building had been blocked by around 20,000 demonstrators.
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara refused to reveal the number of police officers deployed during the inauguration, saying that the figure was confidential.
Another police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the total number of security officers deployed during the ceremony was about 1,800 people, comprising police officers, military officers and officers from the public order agency.
In his inauguration speech, Hari said the central government had not ignored public criticism of the Jakarta gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial election process.
He stressed, however, that the process had met all requirements as stated at the presidential decree, although there was still public opposition to the election result.
Hari also refuted allegations of vote buying during the election process, stressing that it was not in his capacity to deal with such allegations.
"Money politics is not my business. It's the task of the police (to investigate it)," Hari told the media after the inauguration ceremony, from 9:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., attended by about 1,000 guests comprising civil and military officials, councillors, former officials and foreign diplomats.
All four councillors from the Justice Party (PK) faction, who did not accept the election result due to alleged irregularities, were absent during the ceremony.
Around 10 other legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) also did not appear at the City Council on Monday.
Speaking to the media after his inauguration, Sutiyoso expressed the hope that all people in the city would accept the City Council's decision and support him in his plans to develop Jakarta. According to Sutiyoso, Fauzi and he would approach elements in the city that had hitherto not been able to accept their election.
"Those who opposed our election are also Jakarta citizens. We will approach them. Without public support, we will not be able to develop Jakarta," Sutiyoso added.
Sutiyoso and Fauzi Bowo were nominated as gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial candidates by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), which has 30 seats, and the Golkar Party faction, which has eight seats on the 85-member City Council.
PDI Perjuangan's central board issued a recommendation signed by its chairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri, instructing all 30 councillors from the party to support Sutiyoso's bid. The recommendation also threatened sanctions on those who ignored it.
The recommendation was strongly opposed by the party's grass roots, particularly by victims of the attack on Megawati's supporters at Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, on July 27, 1996. Sutiyoso, then Jakarta military commander, is implicated in the incident.