Anies Baswedan's Reluctance to Normalize Rivers Criticized
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15 January 2020 07:41 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Governor Anies Baswedan’s stalled river normalization program came under attack by the Aliansi Suara Rakyat Bersatu (The People's Voice United Alliance), a class action lawsuit alliance consisting of people affected by the new year’s day flash floods.
One of its orators, Abu Janda, asserts that city residents no longer need the governor’s pretentious acts (pencitraan) but only demand the normalization program of the ever-narrowing rivers in Jakarta to be taken over by the central government.
“What the people of Jakarta want is not the governor’s community service pretentious acts but to have him continue Ahok’s programs. What is river normalization? It is the widening of the rivers which consequently must evict residents living across the riverbanks,” said Abu Janda as the association held a protest in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, January 14.
Abu Janda suspects Anies Baswedan is reluctant to commence the program as it would force him to evict people living along the riverbanks. “Pak Anies has not done it because he is [building his image] for the 2024 presidential election.”.
Moreover, the prominent critic of Anies Baswedan said if the river normalization program had been completed on time, the city would not have endured the new year’s day floods.
ANTARA
