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)