Autonomy will bring 'few structural changes'
Autonomy will bring 'few structural changes'
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy
Surjadi Soedirdja said on Friday that when regional autonomy was
implemented, there would not be much difference in the
bureaucratic structure or the composition of regional
administrations.
"According to the new regulation, which will take effect in
January next year, a provincial government will still be led by a
governor and the governor will be assisted by a provincial
development secretary to control the administration.
"Similar composition will be maintained for regency and
mayoralty administrations as a regency will be led by a regent
and a mayoralty by a mayor," he told The Jakarta Post.
The government regulation on the composition of regional
administrations, issued on Sept. 25, also states that a governor
can appoint or dismisses a provincial development secretary only
after consultation with the respective legislative council.
"A governor can no longer fire a provincial development
secretary arbitrarily," he said.
In July, the government also issued a regulation on the
delegation of authority to provinces and regencies/mayoralties.
The government plans to issue 10 regulations as practical
guidelines to the law on regional autonomy, and on fiscal balance
between the central government and the regional administrations.
Surjadi insists that a governor is to be elected by the
respective provincial legislative council, while a regent is
elected by the respective regency legislative council.
"The (central) government will no longer be involved in the
election of governors and regents.
"The government will only induct elected governors and
regents," he said, but added that the government would be allowed
to interfere with any controversial or fraudulent elections of
governors and regents.
Surjadi conceded that many provinces and regencies were still
not ready to implement autonomy due to current political,
economic and human resources conditions.
"Many regions are rich in natural resources, but they have
limited qualified human resources. Meanwhile, many others are
poor because they have no natural resources and an inadequate
number of qualified human resources," he said.
The minister said conflicts in Aceh, Maluku and North Maluku
provinces would also hamper the implementation of regional
autonomy there.
He said the government was concerned with the low quality of
human resources and the people's poor political awareness, citing
that they were decisive factors in the implementation of the new
policy.
"Numerous cases have shown that the people, including regional
political elite, are not ready to uphold democracy," he said.
He said that from an economic view, many provinces and
regencies would not be able to fully implement autonomy in all
sectors, except those on foreign policy, defense affairs, court,
monetary and religious affairs.
Asked whether the central government was ready to delegate a
bigger part of its authority to regions as of next January, the
minister said the government had no reason to delay the
implementation of the policy because it had been demanded by the
law and the people.
"A relevant question is whether regions have financial and
managerial capability in managing such a great authority and
skilled and qualified human resources. I'm afraid that regional
autonomy will only be a tool for the local elite to stay in
power," he said, adding that autonomy was aimed at improving the
government's public service and the people's welfare.
He said regencies which were unprepared for autonomy in
certain sectors could hand over their authority to the provincial
administration, or to the central government. (rms)