Ethical regional autonomy
Ethical regional autonomy
The Asia Foundation's seminar titled Reflections on Three
Years of Regional Autonomy in Indonesia held in Jakarta on
Tuesday (The Jakarta Post Jan. 28), discussed the progress of
regional autonomy.
The foundation notices improved popular participation in the
decision-making process that is encouraging a grass roots
democratization. The hoped-for better future, however, is
shadowed by the inability of legislative councils to respond to
people's wishes.
This is mainly because these councils have been busy enriching
themselves at the people's expense.
In the past three years the imposition of Law No. 22/1999 on
regional autonomy has created "strong legislations" at both the
provincial and regency levels.
Recent events have made sensible Indonesians extremely
concerned about the ethics and morality of some councillors. Weak
and unclear articles of law have been used by councillors to
enrich their coffers using their voting rights to determine their
budgets, giving themselves tremendously high salaries and
generous retirement funds. Their rights are found in Article
19/1/G, which says local legislative councils (DPRDs) have the
right to determine their budgets, and Article 21/2, which says
that financial arrangements of DPRDs are regulated in accordance
with their own procedures. Article 29/5 says the DPRD-
Secretariat's budget is stipulated by the DPRD's decision.
With these laws, it's not surprising these bodies are
producing results well below those expected from councils by the
general public.
They are also likely to escape censure. Councillors' terms of
office will cease in a few months. And while the government's
plans to revise the laws will focus on the above articles, they
will also look at many other issues -- at the election of
governors, at laws regarding the regental/mayoral direct
elections and at central and regional relationships.
Other areas such as mining, maritime boundaries and
transportation, which the foundation says should be given
priority, are likely to be ruled out.
Regarding the ethical behavior of state agencies, the Ministry
of Administrative Reform has prepared a bill on official state
ethics.
M. RUSDI
Jakarta