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