ICW urges Risma to withdraw from the page of one of the departments

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) urged Tri Rismaharimi not to simultaneously serve as Minister of Social Affairs and Mayor of Surabaya and leave one of their positions.

ICW investigator Wana Alamsyah said that Risma’s concurring position had violated at least Law No. 23/2004 on Regional Government and Law No. 39/2008 on Ministries of State.

“Public officials must have the ability to understand regulations and be oriented towards the public interest. This is even more so if officials are in the same class as the president and mayor with achievements that are said to have class,” said Wana in a press release, Thursday (12/24/2020).

Also read: Transfer of the post of social minister, this is Muhadjir Effendy’s message for Risma

Wana said Article 76 letter h of the Local Government Law strictly contains a prohibition for regional chiefs and deputy regional chiefs from holding duplicate positions like other state officials.

Meanwhile, article 23 letter a of the Law of the Ministry of State regulates that the Minister is prohibited as well as the position of other state officials.

Referring to other regulations, namely Article 122 of Law Number 5 of 2014 on Public Officials of the State, ministers and mayors are called State officials.

Wana said that President Joko Widodo’s decision to allow Risma to hold concurrent positions was also seen as problematic.

“A statutory order cannot be ruled out with the permission of the president, much less verbal permission. The appointment of Risma as minister without leaving the post of mayor can be considered legally flawed,” he said.

Wana added that normalizing the practice of multiple positions is the same as normalizing something that can lead to corrupt behavior.

This is because competing positions can potentially create a conflict of interest when formulating policy.

“The permission granted by the president to Risma to hold multiple positions shows more permissive practices towards corrupt practices. In addition, the decision violates the law and erodes the value of public ethics that lives in society,” said Wana.

As previously reported, Risma said that at the moment he was simultaneously serving as Minister of Social Affairs and Mayor of Surabaya.

He said that President Joko Widodo allowed him to temporarily return to Jakarta and Surabaya.

Also read: Concurrent positions of social minister and mayor, Risma: already permission of the president of the PP

“Perhaps because I am simultaneously mayor for a while. I have the permission of the president, ‘Okay, Mrs. Risma, let him go home,'” Risma said in a virtual transfer of the position of Minister of Social Affairs in the Ministry of Affairs Social, Wednesday (12/23/2020).

Risma said that he would return to Surabaya to inaugurate a bridge, a sports museum and other agendas that he had to attend.

“It’s a shame if I don’t inaugurate (the bridge) and I want to inaugurate the sports museum because there is Rudi Hartono’s shirt, Alan Budikusuma’s racket, I want to inaugurate it for the children of Surabaya,” he said.