Tug-of-war ended, council starts work

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City councillors finally ended their political maneuvers and competition for strategic posts after the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction agreed to the option offered by the Democratic Party faction over the chairmanship of Commission B, which deals with economic affairs.

The two factions agreed to divide the chairmanship term in Commission B and C into two terms, each lasting two-and-a-half years. The Democratic Party faction will chair Commission B and the PAN faction will lead Commission C on budgeting for half the term before they exchange the posts.

"The decision is final. The factions and the council speaker and deputies agreed to finish the discussion over the power- sharing," the council deputy speaker Ahmad Heryawan of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction told reporters at City Council on Friday.

The tug-of-war lasted for nearly a week and put the council behind schedule as PAN had insisted upon chairing Commission B.

Council's speaker Ade Surapriatna of the Golkar Party faction said he had persuaded PAN to accept the option offered by the Democratic Party to avoid voting in the process.

"We had planned to finish the process before Monday," he said.

With the result, PKS as the largest faction in the council, will chair Commission E on people's welfare and education and put its two councillors as deputies of Commission D on development affairs and secretary of Commission B.

Besides chairing Commission B, the Democratic Party faction also secured the posts for deputy of Commission A on legal affairs and secretary of Commission C.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, the third largest in the council, will chair Commission D and take the secretary post of Commission A, while the United Development Party (PPP) faction will chair Commission A and get a secretary on Commission E.

Golkar will only put its two members as deputies of both Commission B and C.

The Nationhood Party, a coalition of minor factions in the Jakarta council, only has the post as deputy of Commission E and secretary of Commission D.

"Hopefully, we can start working soon after finishing the power-sharing process," Heryawan said.

This month, the councillors are scheduled to start discussing the city development plan for the next five years and the 2005 city budget.