War disrupts public administration<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
Following the imposition of martial law on May 19, the government
\nhas decided to postpone the election of eight regents in
\nresource-rich Aceh where sporadic violence has been going on for
\ndecades.<\/p>\n
Home Minister Hari Sabarno said the election of new regents in
\neight Aceh regencies would be delayed because of the current
\nconflict and martial law.<\/p>\n
\"Regent elections in those eight regencies will be postponed
\nuntil the situation in the province is under control and the
\nsecurity and order are restored,\" he said after the inauguration
\nof West Java governor Danny Setiawan here on Friday.<\/p>\n
Regents whose term of office have ended include those from
\nSouth Aceh, North Aceh, West Aceh and Aceh Besar.<\/p>\n
When asked if a direct election would be used when the vote
\nfinally occurs, in accordance with Law No. 18\/2001 on special
\nautonomy, Hari said the government would use the older system
\nwherein just the members of the regency council have a vote.<\/p>\n
\"The (special autonomy) law technically took effect in 2002,
\nbut the government will not enforce it entirely during this
\ntransitional period,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister also confirmed that many district heads in Aceh
\nhad relinquished their daily activities of serving the public due
\nto the rebels' frequent intimidation and terror.<\/p>\n
\"But, besides military officers, many graduates of the Home
\nAdministration Academy (STPDN) have applied to replace the
\nresigning district heads. We are in the process of selecting
\nthem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The public administration in Aceh has not operated in a
\ncompletely normal way since Acehnese separatists took up arms
\nagainst the government in 1976 to protest what they claim has
\nbeen injustice and unfair treatment by the central government in
\nthe province.<\/p>\n
More than 10,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands
\nof others have had to leave their home villages for makeshift
\ncamps inside and outside the province. During the four weeks of
\nthe current military offensive, dozens more have been killed in
\naction.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment on the recent resignation of 77 village
\nheads, known as keucik, Minister Hari said it was their right to
\ndo so and regents should take the initiative to appoint their
\nsuccessors.<\/p>\n
\"But, so far, no civil servants have quit their service and
\njoined GAM (the Free Aceh Movement) rebels,\" he said, while
\nadding that many civil servants might show their loyalty to the
\nIndonesian government but, in their minds, they may support GAM.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/war-disrupts-public-administration-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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