Amien says federal state remains a viable option

Amien says federal state remains a viable option

JAKARTA (JP): People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien
Rais warned on Wednesday against the maintenance of a unitary
state, saying the move would lead to the disintegration of
Indonesia.

Amien said the establishment of a federal state remained the
most reasonable option for the survival of the Indonesian nation-
state.

"Federalism is a middle option, a golden way which is the best
way the dissatisfaction of the regions can be resolved," he said.

He said that under a federal system the regions would directly
enjoy the benefits of their resources and be able to assert their
own cultural identity.

Amien called on the provinces to remain calm and patient,
noting that in the current political climate whatever solution
was adopted would take time to implement.

He said the country should only consider the option of
independence and a referendum after a federal system was tested.

"If after that (federalism) we don't see any results, then we
can talk about referendum and the rest."

Amien said amendments to the 1945 Constitution would be
necessary if there was agreement to the idea of federalism.

"We have to change the articles inside the Constitution," he
said.

Separately, political observer Eep Syaifullah Fatah proposed
the government hold a national referendum to ask the nation
whether Indonesia should become a federal nation or remain under
the current unitary form modified with wider autonomy for the
provinces.

He said the referendum should be held after the House of
Representatives (DPR) prepared a law on the referendum as a legal
instrument to endorse the result of a national referendum.

Eep said the referendum must be conducted before Aug. 17 in
order for the results to be inserted before the deadline for
constitutional amendments.

Indonesia briefly adopted the federal system following the
Netherlands' recognition of the republic's sovereignty over its
former Asian colony in 1949.

Opposition

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Military (TNI) disclosed on
Wednesday strong opposition to proposals to form a federal state
in Indonesia, arguing that the nation should remain faithful to
the concepts laid down by the founding fathers.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sudradjat called for calm in the
debate over federalism.

He said Indonesia was not conceived as a federal state and
that while the idea might be attractive amid the increased
demands for more regional autonomy, there was no clear foundation
for federalism.

Sudradjat's statement indicated that the nation would be
opting for unchartered terrain if it decided to take the
federalist route.

"The idea of federalism can be used as a means of
enlightenment, however we must retain our unitary form," he said
during a seminar here titled A Solution to Regional Unrest in the
Perspective of Federalism.

"We should be very careful," Sudradjat warned.

Following the fall of former president Soeharto and the
election of a more open government, provinces throughout the
country have been clamoring for more power.

The government has tried to accommodate the demands by
promising greater regional autonomy, a move expected to be
completed in 2001.

However, East Timor's decision to opt out of the republic
following a referendum held in August, and widespread discontent
after years of repression have stirred strong regional
sentiments. Some provinces are indicating impatience for greater
self-rule and an increased share of the province's wealth.

Sudradjat said there would be extreme consequences if a
federalist concept was hastily adopted without a true
understanding of the wide-ranging implications of the move for a
multiethnic and multireligious state like Indonesia.

He said that in his opinion federalism could lead down the
dark alley of extremist ethnic or religious prejudice.

"We should be careful to avoid the likelihood of ethnic
cleansing such as might happen in Aceh," the two-star general
said.

Another critic of the federalist state was political observer
Sulastomo, who contended that the quality of human resources in
the country was the main drawback to establishing a federal
state.

Sulastomo said the quality of human resources to implement
regional autonomy was questionable. He said a federalist system
would demand even higher competency from each individual federal
state or province.

Citing findings from a research project conducted by Gadjah
Mada University in Yogyakarta, he claimed that 98.5 percent of
the regions were not adequately prepared to execute their
responsibilities under the regional autonomy plan.

Sulastomo said there was no need for federalism and decried
tendencies to sever the nation's unitary characteristic.

"The desire to become an independent entity or adopt a
federalist state bucks the global trend," he said, adding that
even European states were heading toward greater integration and
unity rather than separation.

"Small separate countries cannot compete globally. They will
be eaten by others ... A big and united Indonesia has greater
bargaining power in global competition.

"So what is most proper is higher autonomy in the provinces,"
he said. (04/emf)