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)