Regional autonomy program will boost democracy: Rudini<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): The current drive for greater regional autonomy
\nwill not only check the public's negative views of the
\ncentralistic administration of the government, but also
\nstrengthen democratization, a political observer says.<\/p>\n
Former home minister Rudini said in a seminar on Tuesday that
\ndemands for greater regional autonomy are a reaction against the
\nincreasingly unpopular centralistic administration.<\/p>\n
\"The public's dislike of the undemocratic centralism creates
\nnegative views about the government,\" said the retired Army
\ngeneral who now heads the Institute for Strategic Studies of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"This is despite the fact that not all countries have
\ngovernments which adhere to (the concept of) centralism,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The United States, which is a federal state, grants full
\nautonomy to individual states, but the former Soviet Union,
\nanother federal nation, was very centralistic.<\/p>\n
\"When the rush for globalization set in, centralism started to
\nfold up,\" he said. \"Russia and other former Soviet Union states
\nhave to struggle to adjust to a new, more democratic environment
\nwhich gives people greater say in the running of the country.\"<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government launched a trial of the regional
\nautonomy project in 26 selected regencies last May. The project's
\naim is to give regency governments greater authority in managing
\ntheir internal affairs.<\/p>\n
Other speakers at the seminar held by the Diponegoro
\nUniversity's School of Social and Political Sciences included
\nSumitro Maskun, the director general in charge of regional
\nautonomy at the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Benyamin Hossein, a
\nstaff lecturer at the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Rudini said the quest for greater regional autonomy cannot be
\nseparated from that of democratization, which requires greater
\npublic participation in all decision making processes.<\/p>\n
\"The most important feature of the project for greater
\nregional autonomy is that the essence of democracy, which is
\npeople's sovereignty in all aspects of life, will develop
\nbetter,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ever since the inception of the republic, Indonesians have
\nbeen encouraged to stay away from centralism and centralistic
\nadministration, he recalled.<\/p>\n
\"Even President Soeharto has reminded us all that centralism
\nhas no place in our future government system,\" Rudini said.<\/p>\n
\"This drive for greater autonomy is a real thing. It's not
\nmerely a political slogan,\" he insisted. (har\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regional-autonomy-program-will-boost-democracy-rudini-1447893297",
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