Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Ezra Sihite & Agus Triyono – Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi is facing mounting criticism after threatening to punish district heads who took part in rallies against the fuel price increase.
In a visit to the Jakarta Globe office on Wednesday, former President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the chairwoman of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), warned Gamawan to be careful about saying something she said could be in violation of the law.
"When he was a governor [2005-09] he also rejected the government's plan to raise fuel prices," she said. "That's why I say to him, don't overreact."
Gamawan was supported by the PDI-P when he won his job as Solok district head and later as governor of West Sumatra prior to 2009. He was reportedly Megawati's favorite regional head, and quickly became one of the country's most popular officials.
In 2009, Gamawan was tapped by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for his re-election team and was later given the Home Ministry portfolio. When Yudhoyono planned to increase fuel prices in 2005, Gamawan was one governor who fiercely opposed the plan.
Megawati said she would defend all PDI-P district heads who took part in rallies against the fuel price increase.
A number of PDI-P district heads and mayors took part in demonstrations in their regions on Tuesday, rejecting the plan to raise fuel prices.
They included Malang Mayor Peni Suparto; Solo Deputy Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo; Surabaya Deputy Mayor Bambang Dwi Hartono; Sukoharjo district head Wardoyo Wijaya; and Jember deputy district head Kusen Andalas.
This prompted Gamawan to issue a warning to mayors and district heads that they could lose their jobs for violating their oaths and the law.
Yudhoyono's Democratic Party immediately threw its support behind Gamawan. "If their actions can endanger the state and society, then they can be removed," said Andi Nurpati, the party's head of public communications.
She said that what the mayors and district heads were doing amounted to insubordination, and thus, they were in violation of the law.
Legal expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra dismissed the idea that mayors and district heads could be removed from office for taking part in protests. "They can't be removed by the home minister as they are directly elected by the people," he said.