Experts, councillors call for more democratic, decentralized Jakarta<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Experts and councillors want the House of Representatives
\nto make Jakarta more democratic by introducing a regulation
\nrequiring direct mayoral\/regency elections like those held in
\nother regions.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Institute of Sciences political analyst Indria
\nSamego said on Sunday the current political system in Jakarta
\ngave the governor too much power because he was authorized to
\nappoint officials, from subdistrict heads to regents and mayors.<\/p>\n
\"Jakarta should be treated like other regions. Power must be
\ndecentralized to the municipal and regency levels to make the
\ncity more democratic,\" Indria told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The House is currently preparing a revision of Law No. 34\/1999
\non Jakarta as a special territory. According to the law, the
\nJakarta governor is elected by the City Council and is entitled
\nto appoint mayors and regents.<\/p>\n
The revision is aimed at bringing the law into line with Law
\nNo. 32\/2004 on regional administration, which requires direct
\nelections for governors, mayors and regents.<\/p>\n
The current crop of city leaders, however, seem reluctant to
\nhold direct elections for mayors and regents, or to implement
\nautonomy at the municipal and regency levels.<\/p>\n
Indria said there would be at least two advantages if regional
\nautonomy was decentralized to the regency and municipal levels.<\/p>\n
First, public services would be improved because the fate of
\nmayors and regents would be decided not by the governor, but by
\nthe people.<\/p>\n
\"Moreover, decentralization would allow for a tighter control
\nsystem because there would municipal\/regency councils,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Center for Electoral Reform executive Smita Notosutanto said
\nher organization had proposed the creation of municipal and
\nregency councils in Jakarta prior to the gubernatorial election
\nin 2002.<\/p>\n
The chairman of City Council Commission A for legal and
\nadministrative affairs, Achmad Suaidy, said the Council attempted
\nto include articles on the decentralization of Jakarta in a draft
\nrevision of Law No. 34\/1999, but was opposed by the
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"I think we all agree that Jakarta must be more democratic so
\nthat officials, particularly mayors, do not only report good
\nthings to the governor so they are reappointed .... We will lobby
\nHouse members to consider the decentralization issue,\" Suaidy
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
He expressed optimism that the proposal would receive a
\npositive response from the House.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the Sutiyoso administration's apparent
\nreluctance to embrace decentralization, Suaidy said the
\nbureaucrats at the provincial level benefited from the current
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
\"They control all of the activities, from the subdistrict
\nlevel to municipalities and regencies. If decentralization was
\napproved, they would lose a lot of power,\" Suaidy said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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