Yet more demands: Two children with their mouths gagged join a rally held by the Street Parliament Alliance (APJ) in front of the City Council on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday. The protesters demanded the newly inaugurated councilors work toward free education and healthcare for the poor, and cheap housing. JP/Nurhayati
Newly sworn-in city councilors vowed Tuesday to pay more attention to the issues concerning residents, including healthcare and education, during their next five years in office.
Actress-turned-politician Wanda Hamidah, from the Democratic Party, said she would focus on the children-related issues of education and healthcare in her programs.
“I expect all residents to be covered by a proper healthcare scheme, while all children in the city have access to proper education,” she said after the inauguration ceremony.
Ninety-four councilors-elect were sworn in Tuesday.
Ashraf Ali, from the Golkar Party, said he would fight for a balanced allocation of the city budget, especially for low-income residents.
“There should be balanced allocations for the city’s programs that are meant for the poor,” he said.
The councilors’ statements echoed the demands made by protesters in front of the City Council earlier in the day that the newly elected councilors address welfare issues in their 2009-2014 tenure.
Dozens of protesters from the Street Parliament Alliance (APJ) urged the new council to push hard to create more jobs and work toward free healthcare and education.
Protest coordinator Hendri Anggoro said many poor people remained untouched by the existing free healthcare and education schemes, despite the city administration’s “huge budget”.
The city budget this year was Rp 22.4 trillion (US$2.2 billion).
“Many poor people are still denied free treatment at hospitals, and many others can’t afford to send their children to school,” Hendri said.
“We want the new council to guarantee a good social welfare scheme.”
He added the APJ would closely monitor the council’s performance and continue to press them on the matter.
Tuesday’s inauguration ceremony was presided over by Governor Fauzi Bowo, standing in for Home Minister Mardiyanto.
Of the 94 councilors, 71 are new faces, while the remaining 23 are re-elected members.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party now dominates the City Council with 32 seats, followed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with 18 seats.
Other parties present in the council include the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) with 11 seats, the Golkar Party (7) and the United Development Party (PPP), also with seven seats.
The upstart Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) has six seats, while the National Awakening Party (PKB) has only one.
The National Mandate Party (PAN), the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) each secured four seats.
The total number of seats for the next five-year period is greater than the 75 seats for the 2004—2009 period.
Maj. Gen. (ret) Ferrial Sofyan of the Democratic Party will be the acting council speaker, while the PKS’s Triwisaksana will be his acting deputy.
A recently passed law on the makeup of legislatures stipulates the post of speaker at provincial councils be automatically given to councilors from the party with the most seats in that council, thus ending the selection process stipulated in the previous law.
“This mechanism is simpler, easier and minimizes the risks of vote buying,” Governor Fauzi said when reading the Home Ministry’s inauguration speech.
Security around the City Council was tightened for the inauguration ceremony, with hundreds of police and public order officers on guard in the area.
