Factions agree on regional autonomy decree
Factions agree on regional autonomy decree
JAKARTA (JP): All 11 factions at the People's Consultative
Assembly were united on Thursday in support of a draft decree on
regional autonomy, but warned of an increased tendency toward
regionalism.
During a plenary session to give feedback to draft decrees
presented by Assembly ad hoc committees, the factions also
supported the government's plan to implement a special autonomy
status in the volatile but natural resource-rich provinces of
Aceh and Irian Jaya this year.
In its general view, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction stated regional autonomy should
be implemented under the framework of the unitary state of
Indonesia.
"Autonomy should avoid the emergence of narrow regionalism and
an absence of solidarity between people of different regions. It
should develop pluralism within the unitary state," the faction
said in its statement read by spokesman Yoseph Umarhadi.
Yoseph said the faction hoped the implementation of regional
autonomy would be followed by democratization in individual
regions to prevent the rise of "little kings" in the regions.
He said his faction believed centralized and uniform policies
adopted by the regime of former president Soeharto caused the
death of democracy and regional initiative.
"Centralization and uniformity have sparked strong demands
from the regions for federalism. Many regions want to secede and
proclaim their own states," Yoseph said.
Therefore, he said, a decree on regional autonomy issued by
the country's highest legislative body, the Assembly, was
necessary and unavoidable.
The Golkar Party faction said regional autonomy should be
considered as the delegation of authority from the central
government to local administrations.
"Regional autonomy is not charity from the central government.
It's a division of authority," the faction said in its statement,
read by Hajriyanto Y. Thohari.
The United Development Party (PPP) faction said Article 8 of
the draft decree, which states the central government will grant
autonomy to the regions, needed to be reworded.
"The article could be misinterpreted as charity from the
central government to local administrations," the faction's
spokesman, Zainuddin Isman, said.
The article should say the local administrations possess wide-
ranging autonomy, excluding authority in certain areas, Zainuddin
said.
The Reform faction said the decree was necessary because laws
and regulations endorsed in the past were unable to create
regional autonomy.
"The decree is expected to motivate the executive branch to
show its political ability to apply regional autonomy," the
faction's spokeswoman, Zirlyrosa Jamil, said.
The National Awakening Party (PKB), the Crescent Star Party
(PBB) and a number of other minor factions expressed similar
support for the Assembly to issue a decree on regional autonomy.
If the plan goes as expected regional autonomy will take
effect on Jan. 1 next year. (jun)