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New Jakarta councilors inaugurated
One-hundred-and-six new members of Jakarta City Council for the 2014-2019 term of office were sworn in on Monday
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One-hundred-and-six new members of Jakarta City Council for the 2014-2019 term of office were sworn in on Monday.
The councilors' immediate tasks are the processing of the planned resignation of governor and president-elect Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, the appointment of Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama as new governor and the election of a new deputy governor.
The new councilors swore their oaths of office in the city council's plenary session, which was attended by the governor and the deputy governor. Outgoing city council speaker Ferrial Sofyan of the Democratic Party led the plenary session, which marked the end of the term of the 2009-2014 council.
'I would like to congratulate the new councilors and those who were reelected. I hope that the new council can harmoniously collaborate with the administration in running Jakarta,' Ferrial said.
He also encouraged incumbents who had been reelected to play a more active role. 'Those who have been reelected should become models for new councilors,' he said. Ferrial also expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the public's trust in the elected councilors.
Ferrial said the outgoing council had managed to pass 81 bylaws during its five-year term, but failed to pass a number of important bylaws.
'We have yet to pass a number of crucial draft bylaws, including those on the 2015 city budget; the underground and aerial spatial planning; and the reclamation of the north coast,' he said.
He hoped that the new council would do better in the future. 'We sincerely apologize for shortcomings and we do hope the new councilors will do better in the future.'
During the plenary session, Ferrial announced that the council would temporarily be led by two councilors from the winning parties of the provincial election: Jokowi's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Gerindra Party, which came second.
'In accordance with the government's regulation, the acting speakerships will be assumed by councilors from the winning parties. I, hereby, announce that Johny Simanjuntak of the PDI-P and M. Taufik of the Gerindra Party will be the temporary speaker and deputy speaker until the definitive speakers are elected,' he said.
The PDI-P finished first in the April 9 legislative election, winning 28 of a total of 106 seats, followed by Gerindra with 15, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with 11, the Democratic Party, 10, the United Development Party (PPP), 10, the Hanura Party, 10, the Golkar Party, nine, and the National Awakening Party (PKB) with six. The NasDem Party, running in its first election, won five seats while the National Mandate Party (PAN) took two seats.
Around 60 percent of the total 106 inaugurated councilors were reelected incumbents. They include Ferrial, deputy speaker Triwisaksana of the PKS, M. Sanusi, M. Taufik and Iman Satria of Gerindra, Cinta Mega and Merry Hotma of the PDI-P; Abraham 'Lulung' Lunggana of the PPP, and Ruddin Akbar Lubis and Ashraf Ali of Golkar.
After the plenary session, Taufik said that the new councillors would prioritize appointing new speakers.
'We will focus on appointing the council speaker, deputy speakers and commission leaders within the next week,' he said, pointing out that the PDI-P as the election winner would get the privilege of holding the council speaker's position.
He said the new council would immediately process Jokowi's planned resignation, the appointment of Ahok as new governor and the election of a new deputy governor. 'After the governor submits his resignation letter, we will immediately discuss the resignation and the new deputy governor,' he said, adding that the process of selecting the new deputy governor, who will work alongside Ahok, would take between two and three months.
Jokowi said he would only submit his resignation letter after the city council appointed the council speaker and deputy speakers.
He also expressed his optimism that the newly inaugurated city council would be willing to support the administration, despite rumors of a rift between the PDI-P and Gerindra over the deputy governor's position.
'I am sure there will be no problem,' he said.
Ahok agreed with Jokowi, saying that, 'I have no worries. I have the President backing me up anyway.'
