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)