CSIS says autonomy a long-term process<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A study conducted by the Centre for Strategic
\nInternational Studies (CSIS) found that there were many erroneous
\nfundamental assumptions on regional autonomy which have caused
\nvarious complications.<\/p>\n
Tommy A. Legowo, coordinator of the research, in a seminar to
\npresent the results here on Friday, said regional autonomy must
\nbe viewed as a long-term process and its implementation must be
\nconducted in phases and evaluated continuously.<\/p>\n
\"Regional autonomy is actually not a matter of decentralizing
\nauthority and funds from the central government to regions, but
\nalso of creating and developing democratic political institutions
\nwhich are transparent and able to encourage participation of
\nlocal people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tommy said that based on a survey in 27 regencies and
\nmayoralties in nine provinces between May and December 2000,
\nresearchers found numerous problems resulting from a common
\nmisperception of regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
The 27 regencies and mayoralties included, among others, Sikka
\nand Manggarai in East Nusa Tenggara, Situbondo in East Java,
\nCirebon, Garut and Sukabumi in West Java, Palembang in South
\nSumatra, Serang in Banten and Batam in Riau.<\/p>\n
Tommy said most were enthusiastic about autonomy but felt
\nuncertain about a smooth decentralization of the authority,
\npersonnel, etc. from central government and about their ability
\nto create good and clean governance.<\/p>\n
Of the more than 1,200 respondents in the survey, 36 percent
\nsaid the main problem in their local administration was
\nleadership, 64 percent pointed to corrupt, collusive and
\nnepotistic practices and 40 percent lamented the lack of public
\naccountability.<\/p>\n
Most respondents also complained that political parties have
\nyet to provide political education to their supporters and were
\nnot serious in fighting for local people's aspirations.<\/p>\n
Prof. Koswara, a panelist in the seminar, said central
\ngovernment should proceed with programs to establish regional
\nautonomy and quickly issue the necessary regulations.<\/p>\n
\"The government should not support autonomy half-heartedly,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Cornelis Lay, a political expert from Gadjah Mada University
\nin Yogyakarta, hailed the virtues of autonomy for a pluralist
\nnation but said local politics could not support it.<\/p>\n
\"Regional autonomy is actually a classic problem. Of course,
\nit is not an answer to the disintegration problem but its
\nimplementation in the reform era will support a pluralist
\nnation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to him, the empowerment of local politics was
\nunrealistic and irrelevant because regions actually had no true
\npoliticians and they were not close to nongovernmental
\norganizations and political parties.<\/p>\n
\"Most locals cast their votes in elections not for local
\nfigures but for the parties' leaders in the center. More than 30
\npercent of the people voted for the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle in the last election primarily because of the
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri factor,\" he said. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/csis-says-autonomy-a-long-term-process-1447893297",
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