Disband regional councils
Disband regional councils
From Media Indonesia
The Dec. 2-8 issue of Tempo magazine reported in its Events
Column that 54 members of the West Sumatra provincial council
would shortly be interrogated by the provincial prosecutor's
office for alleged corruption surrounding West Sumatra's 2002
provincial budget. The West Sumatra prosecutor's office has
obtained permission from the home minister for the interrogation.
The impending interrogation of these members of the West
Sumatra Council is the fruit of the struggle being waged by a
number of non-governmental organizations, academics, university
students and the West Sumatra public under the Forum of Care for
West Sumatra (FPSB).
The forum reported this alleged corruption to the provincial
prosecutor's office. In its report, FPSB highlighted five things:
the allocation of Rp 1.296 billion for welfare benefits, Rp 600
million for honorary benefits, Rp 641 million to rent houses for
the chairman and members of the council, and Rp 797 million for
official trips by council members.
FPSB deserves our praise for its work, as the home minister
has responded positively to its report.
We hope that what FPSB has done in West Sumatra will serve as
a model for other forums in other provinces. I believe the FPSB
can cover more things in their struggle so that after the 2004
elections the provincial council can be disbanded. Regional
autonomy is based on regencies/municipalities, not on provinces,
as is the case today.
As far as I can remember, when Bung Hatta led the central
government in Bukittinggi in 1947 he drew up a plan that would
have governors acting only as commissioners of the central
government. There would be no need for deputy governors or
provincial councils.
Regional autonomy is based on regencies and municipalities,
and below this level you have villages with their rural
representatives. Unfortunately, Bung Hatta's plan could not be
realized because of the Dutch Second Act of Aggression on Dec.
19, 1948.
Hopefully, the FPSB, based on the regional autonomy law, will
be able to work together with similar forums from other provinces
to have provincial councils across Indonesia disbanded after the
2004 general election. And in truth, provincial councils have
done practically nothing. Their existence is a mere waste of
money. Besides, they also are a source of corruption. The fact is
that in several regions in Indonesia regents no longer heed their
governors.
H, SLAMAT SM
Cirebon, West Java