Undemocratic Jakarta makes mockery of local autonomy implementation<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Experts say the implementation of the local autonomy program in
\nJakarta is being hampered by the city's undemocratic political
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
This situation, they added, was worsened by the lack of
\npolitical will from executive and legislative leaders, who were
\nreluctant to involve the public in the policy-making process.<\/p>\n
\"Widespread demonstrations by many groups from among the
\ngeneral public who are against the various policies of the city
\nare indicative of the fact that many of these policies are not in
\nline with the people's wishes,\" said Wicaksono Suroso, executive
\ndirector of the Urban and Regional Development Institute (URDI)
\nlast Saturday.<\/p>\n
According to Wicaksono, the recent gubernatorial election
\nprocess was proof of the divergence between the wishes of the
\npolitical leaders and the wishes of the people, and at the same
\ntime showed that the local autonomy program, which was instituted
\nnationally in early 2000, was not working well here.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso was reelected as the city governor on Sept. 11 by the
\nCity Council despite strong opposition from tens of thousands of
\ndemonstrators outside the City Council building on Jl. Kebon
\nSirih in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He won the electoral race after the intervention of President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri, who ordered councillors from her
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) -- the biggest
\nfaction on the 85-member council -- to support the former Jakarta
\nmilitary chief.<\/p>\n
According to Wicaksono, the implementation of local autonomy
\ncould not be separated from the process of democratization as
\nautonomy without democracy would only create an autocratic system
\nat the local government level.<\/p>\n
\"The phenomenon of \"mini rajas\" has already emerged in a
\nnumber of regions following the putting into effect of the local
\nautonomy program,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Nationally, local autonomy is based on Law number 22\/1999 on
\nlocal governance, while for Jakarta Law number 34\/1999 on Jakarta
\nas the special capital district is the operative statute.<\/p>\n
Law number 22\/1999 rules that each city or regency constitutes
\nan autonomous region with its mayor or regent being elected by
\nits local council. In addition, village heads are directly
\nelected by the people.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Law number 34\/1999 provides that the Jakarta
\ngovernor appoints all heads of administration in the city ranging
\nfrom the five mayors and one regent down to all the subdistrict
\nheads all over the city.<\/p>\n
Regional autonomy expert Andi Mallarangeng also said that
\nunder Law number 34\/1999, the Jakarta governor enjoyed much more
\npower compared to the governors in other regions as he was
\nofficially only subject to oversight by the City Council.<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately, the City Council, the only institution which
\ncan control the governor, does not exercise its authority
\nproperly as the councillors do not really serve as the people's
\nrepresentatives,\" said Andi, a former advisor to the state
\nminister for regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
Andi added that the views of the public were often ignored by
\nthe City Council as corrupt councillors frequently colluded with
\nthe governor or other executive leaders.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he added, to make Jakarta more democratic, it would
\nnot be enough to revise Law number 34\/1999, but also Law number
\n2\/1999 on political parties and Law number 3\/1999 on general
\nelections would need to be overhauled.<\/p>\n
The revision of those laws, according to Andi, would make
\npossible the implementation of direct elections by the public for
\nthe posts of governor and the vice governors, members of the City
\nCouncil, members of the mayoralty councils, and members of the
\nsubdistrict councils.<\/p>\n
Andi criticized the House of Representatives, which was
\nreluctant to revise the laws even though draft revisions had
\nalready been submitted.<\/p>\n
Wicaksono agreed with Andi's idea about the need for
\nconstitutional change as this was essential for the process of
\ndemocratization. He added, however, that the public's role in
\nexercising control should be maintained in the absence of formal
\ncontrol mechanisms.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot entrust the control mechanism entirely to the City
\nCouncil as it has proven ineffective. Therefore, public pressure
\nis very important for carrying out informal control. Here, the
\nmass media has a significant role to play in channeling the
\npublic's views,\" he noted.<\/p>",
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