Tug-of-war ended, council starts work

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.