Regional autonomy 'needs no rulings'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza
\nMahendra said the government should not issue too many rulings on
\nregional autonomy and instead allow provinces and regencies to
\ntake the initiative in handling the affairs.<\/p>\n
\"Thus far, it isn't necessary for the central government to
\nmake regulations to implement regional autonomy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said this was meant \"to avoid further intervention in the
\nregions' internal affairs\".<\/p>\n
\"Provinces and regencies should be allowed to develop their
\ncreativity in implementing the autonomy in accordance with their
\nability,\" he said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
His remarks were in direct contrast to State Minister of
\nRegional Autonomy Ryaas Rasyid, who earlier this week said time
\nwas needed before regional autonomy could be fully implemented
\nsince many regulations needed to be drafted.<\/p>\n
But Yusril said many provinces were already uneasy due to what
\nthey perceived as the tardy pace of the central government's
\nimplementing of autonomy.<\/p>\n
\"Many provinces and regencies are impatient to wait until
\n2001. The government should allow them to implement the autonomy
\n(now) if they are ready,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Oesman Sapta, the chairman of the Forum of Regional
\nRepresentatives at the People's Consultative Assembly, regretted
\nYusril's statement, saying it ran completely counter to what the
\ngovernment had been saying thus far.<\/p>\n
\"Yusril should not make such statements ... it will confuse
\npeople, provinces and regencies. It is his right to have a
\ndifference of opinion with Ryaas but such friction among the
\nCabinet members should not be exposed to the public,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, political scientists here warned that regional
\nautonomy in its implementation could face problems dealing with
\nthe preponderance of the military in the regions.<\/p>\n
Rizal Sukma from the Center for Strategic and International
\nStudies (CSIS) said thus far the aspect of civil-military
\nrelations in the region had been overlooked.<\/p>\n
\"We know that governors, regents or village heads are always
\n'accompanied' by local military commanders,\" Rizal said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
He said without some formal regulation, civilian power would
\nbe fruitless in the regional autonomy plan.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ramlan Surbakti highlighted the problem of
\ninadequate human resources as a major problem likely to be faced
\nby the regions in their rush to obtain more control over their
\naffairs.<\/p>\n
The Surabaya-based Airlangga University political scientist
\nalso remarked that the implementation of regional autonomy could
\nbe impeded by \"centralize-minded\" officials.<\/p>\n
One way to overcome this was to ensure a greater role of non-
\ngovernmental organizations.<\/p>\n
But he doubted whether high-ranking officials would abdicate
\ntheir power and cede to the desire of these groups.<\/p>\n
But Andi A. Mallarangeng, an expert staff member of the state
\nminister of regional autonomy, argued that all these problems
\ncould be handled if time was given to draft the appropriate laws
\nto regulate these potential problems.<\/p>\n
\"The law can make people happy to be part of Indonesia,\" Andi
\ninsisted.(jun\/rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regional-autonomy-needs-no-rulings-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}