Chairman refuses to return car

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang Sat, 06/28/2008 11:54 AM City

The ousted chairman of the Tangerang municipal election commission (KPUD), Adi Warman, refused to return his office car as requested by the KPUD secretariat, saying he is still legally KPUD chairman until March 2009.

The KPUD secretariat sent a letter to Warman and two other former members requesting they return the office cars they had been using for work purposes since 2003.

"I ask all related parties, including the KPUD secretariat office, to pay respect to the legal process," Warman said Friday.

He was referring to his lawsuit filed at West Java State Administrative Court (PTUN) against his dismissal by the Banten Provincial Election Commission (KPUD Banten).

Following pressures from a number of community groups last year, the National Election Commission (KPU) and KPUD Banten froze KPUD Tangerang membership due to internal conflict, allegedly triggered by Warman.

KPUD Banten installed new KPUD Tangerang members on June 16 because the former members' term was terminated in May.

"I am still waiting for PTUN's decision. Without it, the installment of KPUD Tangerang's new members is invalid," Warman said.

He said election laws stipulated the term for KPUD membership was still valid four months after a new mayor was sworn in. Tangerang municipality has scheduled to swear in its new mayor in December this year. Preparations for the mayoral election are underway.

"It means my term will terminate in March 2009," he said.

KPUD Tangerang secretary Nusirwan Dalemute said the three former members had to return the office cars because KPUD needed them to complete numerous tasks ahead of the scheduled November mayoral election.

In response to Warman's refusal, he said KPUD Tangerang would coordinate with the Tangerang municipal administration because the cars were state assets purchased with funds from the regional budget.

He said only two out of five former members, namely Achmad Jazuli and Ibnu Jandi, had returned the office cars to the KPUD Office. Three other cars are still in the hands of Warman, Hasnah Azis and Salimudin.