K

aro Regent Kena Ukur Karo Jambi Surbakti on Friday opposed a decision made by the Karo regency council to dismiss him as regent due to ethical violations and his failure to lead the regency.

Kena's dismissal was based on the outcome of a plenary meeting at the regency council on Thursday. As many as 31 of the 35 Karo regency councilors agreed on Kena's dismissal, while one councilor was against Kena's removal from office and three were absent from the meeting.

Kena said the council's decision was politically motivated. 'This is just a ploy. If I made a mistake, then they don't have to dismiss me, as I will personally step down,' Kena told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Kena was elected Karo regent in 2011. He and his running mate Terkelin were nominated by the National Functional Party (PKPB) and several minor parties. After being elected as regent, Kena took the position of Karo Democratic Party head in 2013.

Kena said he would continue working as usual despite having been dismissed by the local legislature. He pointed out the council's decision was legally flawed because he had not faced an inquiry, and added that the council had no authority to remove a regent from office.

'The [only] person who is entitled to dismiss [me as] regent is the President, because the person who appointed me was the President, through the home minister,' he said.

The dismissal mechanism includes a recommendation by the local council, which is legally justified by the Supreme Court, and must be followed by a plenary meeting to discuss submitting a recommendation to the President. The letter recommending dismissal is based on Law No. 32/2004 on regional administration.

The law gives a deadline of 30 days for the President to respond to the recommendation.

Councilor Siti Aminah Perangin-Angin said that, following the dismissal, the Karo regency council would communicate with the North Sumatra governor, home minister and the President. She added that, in the letter, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ' through Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi ' would be requested to write a letter recommending the dismissal of Kena as well as the appointment of Vice Regent Terkelin Brahmana as regent.

'I will send the letter on Monday. We hope the dismissal process will be carried out as quickly as possible,' said Siti, who is also an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction head.

Siti cited several points that became the basis for dismissing the Karo regent, including that he lacked ethics, made deals on positions within the regency administration, often made policies without consulting the regency council and failed to lead the Karo community, especially when dealing with evacuees from the Mount Sinabung
eruption.

She said the committee had made a proposal to dismiss the regent, which was followed by the regency council submitting it to the Supreme Court in February. The Court ruled in favor of the dismissal.

'The regent has made too many mistakes. Almost 90 percent of his policies are against the law. Should I protect such a person?' asked Bantuan Purba, a Karo regency council member from the Democratic Party.

In response to the matter, Kena said that every accusation leveled at him was baseless. 'They are all fabricated and groundless,' he said.