Councillors reject autonomy revision

Tiarma Siboro and A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Association of Regional Legislative Councils (Adeksi) rejected on Wednesday the revision of Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy currently being drafted, saying it constituted a disguised attempt to foil the ongoing autonomy drive.

"The revision must be rejected since it will merely allow the central government to pull power back into its hands," said Ali Hanafiah, deputy chairman of Adeksi, after a meeting with Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The row came to light after the Ministry of Home Affairs decided late last year to revise the law on regional autonomy. The Ministry of Home Affairs is overseen by Susilo.

The revision of the law, which was enacted only in January last year, is reportedly aimed at reducing the negative impacts of regional autonomy that contradict the unitary state principle.

The disputed revision includes, among other things, a provision that would allow the president to dissolve the regional councils.

In his capacity as spokesman for the 19 councillors opposing the revision, Ali said that the government should carry out thorough preliminary investigations before deciding whether or not to revise the law.

Ali also urged the central government to create clear-cut guidelines that would clarify the power relations between the central and the local governments, saying this would be useful to prevent disputes between the two tiers.

Adeksi represents 68 of the more than 300 regency/mayoralty legislative councils across the nation.

Ali said that regional autonomy, as well as special autonomy for the restive provinces of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Papua, was an effective way of preventing national disintegration, as locals were granted the authority to manage themselves.

Meanwhile, regional autonomy expert Ryaas Rasyid also lashed out on Wednesday at the revision of the law.

Ryaas, former minister of regional autonomy, said that the plan violated the principle of democracy.

"The local councils are elected by the people, and the people reserve the right to dismiss the local council, not the president," he said before addressing a seminar on governance here.

Ryaas said that the plan suggested that the government would centralize power into its own hands.