Autonomy law revision 'not to centralize power'
Autonomy law revision 'not to centralize power'
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Ministry of Home Affairs' director general for regional
public administration, Sudarsono Hardjosoekarto, reiterated on
Monday that a plan to revise the law on regional autonomy was
aimed mainly at avoiding multiple interpretations of the law.
He strongly denied allegations that the revision was intended
to centralize power.
"The revision must continue in order to avoid multiple
interpretations with several articles of the law, which I believe
could lead to disputes between the central and local
governments," Sudarsono said.
"Our team is currently identifying these articles and we need
more time to identify problems caused by the law before we
communicate it (the plan on revision) to related institutions,
including the regents and representatives of local
administrations," Sudarsono said.
Sudarsono, who is also chairman of the government's team in
charge of preparing the law's revision, said the central
government would soon hold a discussion with representatives of
local administrations in order to avoid further differences of
opinion over the revision plan.
Despite protests from regents and representatives of local
administrations over the plan to revise Law No. 22/1999 on
regional autonomy and Law No. 25/1999 on fiscal balance, Minister
of Home Affairs Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno has insisted that the
government will continue with the plan.
Many people have criticized the law on autonomy, saying it
could have negative impacts. For example, investors are confused
about which administrations -- local or central -- have the
authority to issue permits.
Several regencies have issued their own regulations without
any guidance from Jakarta.
The demand for autonomy grew after the downfall of the New
Order regime in 1998 which was widely resented for ignoring
development in the provinces. The strongest demands for autonomy
came from provinces rich in natural resources such as Irian Jaya,
Riau and Aceh.
Autonomy, nevertheless, has been deemed as a potential threat
to the country's integration. Even the then vice president,
Megawati Soekarnoputri, criticized the autonomy concept, saying
that the law went against the principle of Indonesia being a
unitary state as laid down in the 1945 Constitution.
In a related development, Regency Administrations' Association
(Apkasi) chairman Syaukani HR reiterated in Samarinda, East
Kalimantan, on Monday, his rejection of the revision, saying it
could create new problems as the central government held partial
evaluation over its implementation.
"The plan to revise the law is intended mainly to maintain the
central government's own interest as autonomy will only lessen
its power," Syaukani said as quoted by Antara.