Taxi cooperative urged to settle dispute

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City Council Commission B on economic affairs suggested that disputing parties within the Kosti Jaya taxi cooperative settle their differences internally and peacefully through talks, during which they should take into consideration the law on cooperatives.

The suggestion was made following a hearing on Thursday with Commission B, both disputing parties and the head of the city Office of the State Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Syamsu Hilataha.

The taxi cooperative currently has two chairmen following an extraordinary members meeting last Nov. 21 that replaced the leadership of Warsono and eight other executives.

Warsono, however, has reportedly refused to step down, saying that the November meeting was illegal and it would therefore be better to wait for the annual members meeting due in two months' time.

The new management, however, said that the meeting was legal because more than 10 percent of Kosti's 3,600 members requested that the extraordinary members meeting take place as required by Kosti's statutes.

"More than 400 members requested an extraordinary members meeting, meaning it was legal," the new management chairman, Ruhiyat, told councillors.

"That's why we asked Pak Syamsu to issue a decision on whether the extraordinary members meeting was legal or not.

"But he seemed to side with the old management, which was tainted with corruption," he added.

Syamsu, however, agreed with the Warsono camp that the meeting was not legal, saying it was not in accordance to Law No. 25 on cooperatives.

After the hearing, commission chairman Syarif Zulkarnaen instructed Syamsu to issue an official consideration on whether the extraordinary members meeting was legal.

"Your agency must also facilitate a meeting between both camps to find a solution," he told Syamsu.