Govt says priority is polls, not provinces

Govt says priority is polls, not provinces

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid rejected
on Tuesday the notion of dividing Irian Jaya and Maluku into five
provinces before the June 7 elections, saying the government was
now prioritizing efforts to ensure a free and fair poll.

"The coming general election carries with it a great risk of
jeopardizing national unity (which would happen) if we fail to
run it freely and fairly," he said at a meeting with members of
the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) here.

"We will not divide the two provinces hastily at the expense
of the elections scheduled for June 7," he said.

He pointed out that legislation on the planned divisions had
yet to be drafted, while the House of Representatives was in
recess until after the elections. Therefore it would be
impossible for the division to take place before the elections,
he said.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Gen.
(ret) Feisal Tanjung announced last Thursday that the government
would divide Irian Jaya into three provinces and Maluku into two
provinces before the elections.

Syarwan said he had consulted President B.J. Habibie on the
matter, and the latter advised against haste.

"The President told me not to force the division of the two
provinces ahead of the general election," he said.

DPA members Tarub and Yusuf Syakir pressed the minister to
prepare two government regulations in lieu of laws (known as
Perpu) so division could take place shortly. They both cited what
they called a "state of emergency" in Irian Jaya.

Tarub said 90 percent of the 2.5 million population of Irian
Jaya had started demanding independence and hoisting the
Independent Papua separatist group's flag.

"This means Irian Jaya is in a state of emergency and the
government should not delay," he said.

Separately, Minister of Justice Muladi questioned the campaign
for dividing the regions into more provinces, saying he had not
heard any strong reasons for the notion.

"The government can issue a Perpu, but do we have good reason
to do it? Because the law says such a regulation can be issued
only in dire emergencies," he said.

Disintegration

In Tuesday's meeting, DPA deputy chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro
expressed concern over the worsening political and economic
conditions at home, which he believed could lead to
disintegration.

"This multiethnic nation is faced with the prolonged political
and economic crisis, worsening social disparities, rampant
corruption, collusion and nepotism, spreading violence in regions
and economic gaps within society," he said.

He said the situation was aggravated by the fact that the
legitimacy of President B.J. Habibie's reform government was
still being questioned and the Armed Forces had yet to prove its
ability in handling the riots in many regions.

Syarwan said the two laws on regional autonomy and
interregional fiscal balance which were recently passed by the
House of Representatives were expected to be a key answer to
regions which were demanding separation from Indonesia.

"With the two laws, regencies will have the authority to
manage their own administrations, elect their leaders, share a
bigger part in the revenue from the exploitation of their natural
resources and to make deals with foreign investors.

"But the two laws are also expected to maintain national unity
because monetary and foreign affairs, the judicial system and
defense and security remain the authority of the central
government," he said. (rms)