Sutiyoso's power grab rejected by neighbors

Sutiyoso's power grab rejected by neighbors

Theresia Sufa and Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post,
Bogor/Tangerang

The Tangerang and Bogor administrations have objected to Jakarta
Governor Sutiyoso's proposal that Jakarta assume control of the
surrounding cities.

However, Bogor said it would compromise only if the Greater
Jakarta was controlled by a central government minister.

Bogor City Councillor A. Rohili said Tuesday that Sutiyoso had
no authority to control Bogor as the city was governed by the
West Java provincial administration.

"Where is the governor's authority to control Bogor? It's
different if Greater Jakarta is controlled by a minister," he
said, referring to a proposal by former state minister of the
environment Emil Salim.

Emil had said in 1996 that Greater Jakarta should be led by a
governor with ministerial level authority. He argued that
problems occurring in the capital had always been related to the
surrounding cities of Tangerang, Bogor, Depok and Bekasi.

Another Bogor councillor, Hotman Damanik, said that
geographically speaking, Bogor should have been integrated with
Jakarta.

"However, I agree that Greater Jakarta be led by a minister,"
he said.

Separately, Tangerang City Secretary Wahidin Halim said that
such an idea needed further study and discussion.

"We already have the mechanism of formatting regions and the
law on regional autonomy. I think controlling the surrounding
city is just an idea from Governor Sutiyoso," he said, adding
that the idea might violate Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy.

Sutiyoso told House of Representatives Commission I
overseeing, among other things, political affairs that the
neighboring administrations should be governed by Jakarta. The
commission is revising Law No. 34/1999 on the Jakarta
administration.

Sutiyoso said expanding Jakarta's power would help solve the
increasing problems in the capital, including floods, garbage and
transportation, which were all caused by the surrounding cities.

The Jakarta administration is in dispute with the Bekasi
municipality administration over the Bantar Gebang dump site,
which Bekasi says causes environmental damage and health
problems. The dispute in late 2001 caused a garbage crisis in the
capital, where 6,000 tons of garbage are discarded daily. Waste
was left to rot in the streets.

Jakarta also blamed Bogor for the huge floods that hit the
capital in early 2001. A total of 19 people were killed during
the tragedy that isolated the capital.

Around two million commuters from the four cities also
contribute to massive traffic jams in the capital, particularly
during peak hours.

Rohili said the Bogor and Jakarta administrations had been
working together well in several areas, including finding an
alternative garbage site, although many Bogor residents oppose
the idea.

Meanwhile, Wahidin said that Jakarta should have been fairer
in looking at the problems.

"It's not right to blame each other. It is more important to
cooperate ... to overcome the existing problems," he said.