Villagers launch counterrally

Villagers launch counterrally

TANGERANG (JP): Some 400 villagers of Babakan Asem subdistrict
staged a rally in front of the Tangerang regency yesterday,
demanding the regent restore M. Buang, their village head, to his
position.

The rally yesterday was to counter an earlier rally staged by
other villagers demanding Buang's resignation because he had
allegedly taken a one-hectare cemetery plot under his ownership,
swindled funds for development of the least-developed villages
and had more than one wife.

Buang was temporarily suspended soon after the protest,
pending results of the investigation being conducted by Tangerang
Regent Agus Djunara

"We do not agree with the accusations. We do not agree with
the imposition of the punishment on our village head either,"
Sunarya, one of the villagers, said yesterday.

The regent was quoted by his spokeswoman Ena Karlina as saying
that an investigation into the case was currently underway.

Ena urged the villagers to be patient as the regency was now
handling three other similar demands for the dismissal of heads
of Cukanggalih village, Endang Suparman; Bencongan village, M.
Djana, and Cibogo village, Nurdin Marzuki. (41/ivy)