​Jakarta City Council threatens to impeach Governor Ahok over 2015 Regional Budget

It’s no secret that Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and the Jakarta City Council rarely see eye-to-eye. But this latest news could be the biggest strain yet on their fragile relationship.
 
Deputy Chairman of the Jakarta City Council Muhammad Taufik said the council is looking into the possibility of impeachment for Ahok. Taufik claimed that Ahok broke the law by issuing his own regional bill on the 2015 Jakarta Regional Budget to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was different to the previously city council-approved budget proposal.
 
“He sent a different regional budget bill to the one agreed upon by the council. That’s breaking the law, so we could impeach him,” Taufik told Vivanews today.
 
Taufik added that the council issued a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs saying Ahok’s version of the budget is illegal.
 
“The draft (of Ahok’s budget) was then returned after we issued the letter,” he said.
 
But before the council moves forward with their impeachment plan, they want to summon Ahok and the provincial government to explain the mess regarding the 2015 Regional Budget.
 
“On Monday we’ll hold an executive meeting with all fractions in the Jakarta City Council to discuss this issue,” Taufik said.