The legislative council in Banyumas, Central Java, will end its five-year term in office by grilling Regent Mardjoko about several of his failed policies and conduct while in charge, council speaker Suherman has said.
Speaking to journalists in Purwokerto on Tuesday, Suherman said the questioning sessions, or interpellation, would begin by the start of next month at the latest.
"During a plenary session a few days ago we *the legislative council* confirmed we would launch the interpellation against the regent," Suherman said.
There were several reasons the council had decided to take this action, he said, but one key issue was the regent's failure to build a promised bio-ethanol industry in the region.
"We consider that *failed promise* public deceit," he said.
Other considerations include the fact that many of the regent's policies were decided without involving the legislature, and that some of his initiatives drained the regency budget.
Certain policies, such as the expansion of two main roads and the renovation of the city square, will be specifically targeted during the questioning sessions.
"We will question him about all of these *policies* during the interpellation sessions," Suherman told The Jakarta Post.
The Golkar Party was the only party to not back the decision for an interpellation, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), National Awakening Party (PKB), National Mandate Party (PAN) and United Development Party (PPP) supporting the push.
PKB Legislator Ahmad Ikhsan said because they (the PKB) had nominated Mardjoko for the regency head position, they felt embarrassed he had not fulfilled his promises.
During his campaign launch for the 2008 regency election, Mardjoko openly said he would establish a Rp 4 trillion bio-ethanol industry in Banyumas in cooperation with PT Sampoerna Bio Energy (PT SBE).
The industry would generate at least Rp 3 billion per month for the local economy and create at least 25,000 jobs, he had claimed at the time.
Mardjoko won the election and was sworn in as the regency head in April 2008.
"We have been instructed to take notes on the promises made by regent candidates in the future. It was a serious promise *for a bio-ethanol industry* because it was delivered at an official forum. He should not have made promises he did not plan on fulfilling," Chairman of the PDI-P at the council, Bambang Pujianto, said.
Mardjoko had to be accountable for what he had promised before the legislature, Bambang said.
"He has to explain everything, particularly why he misled the public and the council."
Talk of the interpellation against Mardjoko began last week when Vice Regent Ahmad Husein revealed in a seminar in Purwokerto, the regency capital, that PT SBE had failed to establish the cassava-based bio-ethanol industry.
| 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|