Govt promises more regency autonomy

JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said yesterday that an authoritarian government would eventually fall because excessive control created passive, uncreative people.

Such a regime would usually become inefficient, have too many unnecessary burdens and would sooner of later collapse because of its limited capacity to bear all its burdens, he said.

"This happens in countries with authoritarian, totalitarian, communist and military regimes," Moerdiono said yesterday on the final day of a two-day seminar on regional autonomy.

A regime would also fail if it gave too much attention to promotion of democracy by encouraging people's creativity and initiative while ignoring other factors, he said.

"A regime which ignores the importance of national unity and integration is in for a self-defeating process," Moerdiono said.

The seminar, opened by President Soeharto, was organized by the alumni of the National Resilience Institute, a military think tank.

The government launched a trial run for a regional autonomy program in 26 regencies in April 1995. The project is meant to give regencies a greater say in their internal affairs.

Critics said the government has been slow to encourage autonomy. Indonesia passed a law on regional autonomy in 1974.

Indonesia comprises 27 provinces, 243 regencies and 77 mayoralties.

Moerdiono reaffirmed the government's commitment to delegate more authority to regency administrations. He said local legislative councils should be empowered so they could define their own development directions and control their regents and mayors.

"A regent or mayor is obliged to give an accountability report to local council," Moerdiono said, then added that this was his private opinion.

Regents and mayors are not legally accountable to local legislative bodies but they are to the minister of home affairs.

The government says it will soon only give broad guidelines to local authorities, which can modify them to meet their needs.

"But the government must be convinced that the autonomy is still within its control," Moerdiono said.

The Institute of Public Administration's rector, Ryaas Rasyid, said that Jakarta should decentralize some of its power because local governments know more about local needs.

This policy would eventually benefit the government because it would no longer have to spend money on unnecessary development projects, he said.

"We have been independent for 52 years. The government must take more concrete steps to appreciate people," Ryaas told the seminar.

He said regents spent more time in Jakarta dealing with ministries than in their own offices because most development programs were decided in Jakarta.

"When a regent returns from Jakarta he is too tired to work," he said.

He dismissed fears that autonomy could lead to national disintegration.

"A regency will not declare itself a republic after receiving autonomy," he said.

Former Central Java governor Ismail agreed that local government had to be given more power. He said a strong legislative body was also needed to ensure public control.

"Sometimes a regent is too ambitious in reaching his own targets and ignores public aspirations," Ismail said. (06)