East Kalimantan legislators join call for federalism

East Kalimantan legislators join call for federalism

JAKARTA (JP): East Kalimantan provincial legislators went to
the House of Representatives here on Wednesday to demand
Indonesia become a federal state which would allow provinces more
autonomy.

Khairul Fuad, deputy speaker of the East Kalimantan provincial
legislative council, said after a closed-door meeting with House
Speaker Akbar Tandjung here on Wednesday that he and his
entourage were sent to lodge the province's demand for the
implementation of federalism in Indonesia.

"We asked the House to take the concept of federalism into
consideration in an attempt to maintain national unity and meet
the increasing demands for referendums in Aceh and Irian," he
said.

Riau recently made the same demand to secure a bigger portion
of the rewards of its rich natural resources.

Fuad said the legislative council also called for the
immediate enforcement of the 1999 Law on Fiscal Balance to allow
regions to gain more from the exploitation of their natural
resources.

"East Kalimantan demands a ratio of 75 to 25 for the
exploitation of oil and gas in the province. We want the law to
take effect as of 2000," he said.

The new law states that 85 percent of oil revenue and 70
percent of gas revenue goes to Jakarta.

Akbar said after the meeting that the House would not agree to
push demands for federalism as it was in violation of the 1945
Constitution.

"We will discuss and deliberate the province's demand for a
greater share in resources and its full right to exploit its
natural resources," he said.

He contended that it is still difficult for the House to
consider the idea of federalism because most people still felt
emotionally and politically bound to the Constitution, which
stipulates that Indonesia is a unitary republic.

"But let all the people speak about the concept. If all people
support the concept, the House will have no reason not to
deliberate it," he said. (rms)