Governor posts 'only for' officers, civil servants
Governor posts 'only for' officers, civil servants
JAKARTA (JP): The government said yesterday that people
outside the civil service or military were not allowed to become
governors.
The director general for public administration and regional
autonomy, Oman Sachroni, said it was constitutionally impossible
for people outside these bodies to become a governor.
"Only candidates with adequate experience and knowledge on
public administration affairs are eligible for gubernatorial
post," he told reporters, while referring to Article 14 of Law
No. 5/1974 on Regional Public Administration.
But former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin said yesterday that
government positions should be divided equally between the civil
service, the public and the military.
"It's high time to adapt to the global demands for political
change towards democracy," Ali said after celebrating his 71st
birthday at his residence on Jl. Borobudur in Central Jakarta.
He said that government positions should not be monopolized by
the civil service and the military. "Civilians should also be
given an opportunity."
On demands to revise the public administration law, Oman said
the Ministry of Home Affairs welcomed submissions from the public
and constitutional law experts.
But on a deadline for the law's amendment, he said: "I have no
idea about the law revision deadline. We have to consider the
appropriateness and the urgency of having the law reviewed."
He then dismissed the likelihood of a review by saying that
the law was still relevant.
Oman denied allegations that the government (through the
Minister of Home Affairs) had violated democratic values in the
gubernatorial selection process.
"The minister must have had reasons to erase a candidate's
name from the candidates list. And the authority is guaranteed in
the law," he said.
He said the minister had the authority to offer an opinion on
a non-military candidate's curriculum vitae.
Similarly, he said, the Armed Forces chief had the authority
to screen candidates from the military corps.
Oman was responding to a statement by public administration
expert Ryaas Rasyid, who suggested Saturday that the public
administration law be reviewed and procedures for selecting
provincial governors and regional leaders be simplified.
Ryaas claimed that the Ministry of Home Affairs had interfered
in the selection process for governors and regents in several
provinces.
Oman dismissed the possibility of pressing sanctions against
Ryaas, also the Public Administration Institute's rector.
"I did not hear about his statement directly. I just read it
in the newspapers," he said.
The institute's rector is under the home affairs minister's
supervision and control. (imn)