Govt chided as 'incompetent' in autonomy implementation<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The central government has been accused of \"incompetence and
\ninsincerity\" in its attempts to share power with the regions,
\ncritics say.<\/p>\n
Autonomy law expert Ryaas Rasyid said autonomy implementation
\nhad been hampered by thousands of incompatible bylaws and
\npresidential decrees.<\/p>\n
\"There are hundreds or thousands of problematic regional
\nregulations and at least 197 presidential decrees, which should
\nimmediately be revoked but the central government refuses to do
\nso,\" Ryaas said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The controversial presidential decrees include areas relating
\nto mines, education, health services, forestry, investment, trade
\nand industry.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno suggested last January
\nthat at least 68 bylaws enacted by provincial and regency
\nadministrations be revoked as they contradicted national laws.<\/p>\n
Earlier the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
\n(KADIN) demanded that thousands of bylaws be scrapped or reviewed
\nfor allegedly hindering business in the regions.<\/p>\n
Ryass was speaking at a discussion on a book titled
\nDecentralization, Democratization and Accountability of Regional
\nAdministrations, which comprises a number of opinions written by
\nleading scholars.<\/p>\n
Ryass, who contributed an article to the publication, said the
\ncentral government had issued several recent rulings inconsistent
\nwith Law No. 22\/1999 on regional autonomy and Law No. 25\/1999 on
\nfiscal balance between the central and regional governments.<\/p>\n
Ryaas cited as an example a presidential decree on land
\nmanagement issued in 2000 during former president Abdurrahman
\nWahid's tenure, and a government regulation on forestry enacted
\nby the current government.<\/p>\n
He attributed the central government's incompetence on its
\nrefusal to enact specific guidelines on the autonomy law, which
\nhad sparked widespread confusion.<\/p>\n
\"The government's refusal to enact supporting regulations is
\npart of its incompetence. We have reminded them to do so, but
\nthey say it is not necessary,\" said Ryaas, who once led a
\npolitical reform team under former president B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
Ryaas criticized the central government for failing to take
\nresponsibility to make decentralization a success, saying
\nautonomy continued \"to develop anti-autonomy rhetoric\" among
\nmembers of the public.<\/p>\n
Indra J. Piliang, a researcher with the Indonesian Institute
\nof Sciences (LIPI), was also critical of the central government's
\nincompetence in dealing with autonomy implementation.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's recent statement that
\nIndonesian workers deported from Malaysia were the responsibility
\nof regional administrations showed just how badly the government
\nunderstood its own laws, he said.<\/p>\n
Indra told the discussion that the central government should
\nhave been aware the issue of deported workers was its
\nresponsibility in connection with bilateral ties between Jakarta
\nand Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
Ryaas, who recently launched the Unity, Democracy and
\nNationhood Party (PPDK), warned against government moves to
\ncreate new regencies and provinces as it could trigger new
\npolitical problems.<\/p>\n
\"With the regional expansions, regencies with an insufficient
\npopulation may not have a single representative in legislative
\nbodies,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-chided-as-incompetent-in-autonomy-implementation-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}