Villagers want own administration

Villagers want own administration

TANGERANG (JP): Around 100 residents of Kebon Cau village in
Teluk Naga district rallied at the Tangerang regency council on
Thursday to demand the incorporation of their village as a
separate administrative unit.

The angry demonstrators said their demand had been sparked by
a protracted legal dispute over the validity of their village
head Burhanuddin's election.

It was not the first time the residents had protested the
local government's failure to break the stalemate.

"We are fed up with Regent Agus Djunara's promises to resolve
the matter. We want a separate village administration because we
consider Burhanuddin's victory in the election to be
illegitimate," one of the residents said.

Burhanuddin's election win in 1998 was marred by bribery
allegations. The Tangerang regent then overruled the election
result based on a judgment against Burhanuddin issued by the
local district court. The West Java governor also upheld the
regent's ruling the same year.

Legal action brought by Burhanuddin paid off in 1999 when the
West Java State Administrative Court overruled the decisions to
cancel his election as village chief issued by both the regent
and governor.

The regency administration has since appealed to the state
administrative high court. (41)