Decision on new province irks Riau governor
Decision on new province irks Riau governor
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The proposed formation of a Riau Islands province has stirred
strong discord pitting the central government and the islands'
inhabitants -- some of whom oppose the idea -- against the
current Riau province on the mainland, which seeks a democratic
compromise on the issue.
On Friday, Riau Governor Saleh Djasid offered a cynical
reaction to the decision by the House of Representatives' special
committee the day before to accommodate the proposal.
If the creation of the new province is based solely on the
House's agreement, he said, "such a mechanism does not educate
people on how to comply with the law."
As the controversy intensified, meanwhile, two groups of
students -- for and against the new province -- were almost
embroiled in a physical confrontation during their separate
demonstrations outside the Riau provincial legislative council in
the capital of Pekanbaru on Friday.
Students opposed to the breakaway province accused the House
of creating needless divisions among the Riau people which could
spread to disintegration at the national level.
During the two demonstrations, the governor held a hearing
with the legislature's special committee to discuss the subject
of tap water in the province.
At that time, the governor changed his vehicle license plate
number from a government one to a civilian one to allow him to
enter and leave the legislature compound unhindered by
protesters.
The group of student demonstrators who support the
establishment of a new province dispersed shortly after security
personnel were deployed outside the legislative compound.
The governor said he had no objections to the House's
decision, but added that the state should be allowed to make its
own decisions. Such legislative procedure, he added, is paramount
to educating the public to both understand and respect the law.
"There are many problems to be solved before the House lends
its weight to the proposal," he said.
The House's special committee was set up last year after the
legislators agreed with the idea, and set the process in motion
by drafting a law on the foundation of the new province.
The House's special committee deliberated the draft law in the
would-be province at a Thursday meeting before more than 2,000
residents of the Riau Islands, who supported autonomy.
The movement toward a new province has met the most opposition
from the Riau provincial legislative council and Natuna, one of
five regencies on the Riau Islands.
The other four regencies -- all of which support the new
province -- are Batam, Karimun, Riau Islands and Tanjungpinang.