Salary payout to council halted over feud

An altercation between the regent and the regional council of Banyumas, Central Java, has reached a new level of bitterness, with the former suspending the councilors’ September salaries.

Regent Mardjoko’s move, which has affected 50 councilors, was retaliation for a “legislative stance to stall the approval of his proposed budget”.

Mardjoko reportedly was annoyed because the proposed budget amendment submitted to the regency
legislative council a month ago had not been approved by the council. Then on Friday, it was reported that the councilors’ salaries had been withheld.

“We have been informed that it [the salaries] will be disbursed today, after the Central Java governor summoned the regent yesterday and told him to settle the dispute. This is embarrassing that a regent does not know the rules of governance,” council speaker Juli Krisdiyanto said on Friday.

He said that Governor Bibit Waluyo had arranged a meeting between the council’s speakers and Mardjoko on Thursday in the provincial capital of Semarang.

“The regent was told to disburse the salaries because the money is the councilors’ by right. He was blamed for withholding it,” Juli said.

Juli said that the suspension of the salary was a testament to the regent’s irritation over a demand by the Banyumas chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) for the budget amendment to include financial aid for the PDI-P, which the regent rejected.

Because of his rejection, a number of the councilors refused to sign the amended budget. “It seems that the regent has tried to take revenge by withholding our salaries,” Juli said.

The altercation over the salaries disbursement began in August, when the council asked the regent to disburse their salaries a few days ahead of the Idul Fitri celebrations.

The demand was turned down. By Aug. 31, their salaries had still not been paid out.

Mardjoko said that the late payment was because the head of the regency’s finance agency was still out of town. This turned out to be untrue.

“Why are they buying time by not approving the amendment? It’s been a month. It’s disadvantaging the people’s interests. So, just let them think about this,” Mardjoko said.

He said he was disappointed with the council’s decision not to approve the budget amendment, saying that the proposed funds would be spent on a variety of things. He urged the councilors not to play with the budget.