Govt to revise law on regional autonomy

Govt to revise law on regional autonomy

JAKARTA (JP): Less than two months after its implementation,
the government is planning to revise Law No. 22/ 1999 on regional
autonomy due to existing loopholes that could lead to
misinterpretation.

"The intention to revise the law is in accordance with the
message conveyed by the People's Consultative Assembly and
because the law has many loopholes," Minister of Home Affairs and
Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja told a hearing with the House
of Representatives (DPR) Commission II on legal and home affairs.

He cited that many articles of the law had ambiguous meanings
and open possibilities for people to have different
interpretations.

"For example one article stipulates that there are no
structural relations between a governor and the regencies within
his or her jurisdiction.

"Many have interpreted the article to have gone too far, so we
have to explain that it cannot be interpreted just like that,"
Surjadi said.

"People should understand the governor is responsible for the
success of regional autonomy in his region," he added.

Earlier last week, even Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
cited that many provinces are not yet ready to implement regional
autonomy.

To prevent further misleading interpretations, Surjadi said he
had to issue many regulations and continue monitoring
implementation of the law.

"I do not want to blame anybody for the law, but I understand
that it was drafted in a certain political and social condition
of the country.

"However, the spirit of the law lacks consistency and has to
be revised as soon as possible," he told reporters on the
sidelines of the hearing.

"We're responding to calls to revise the law as soon as
possible. Hopefully, the House Commission II will support the
idea," Surjadi said.

Indonesia officially entered a new era with the implementation
of regional autonomy on Jan. 1, but many were pessimistic and
believed that it would lead to "bureaucratic chaos".

Law No. 22/1999 regulates the implementation of regional
administrations and Law No. 25/1999 regulates the fiscal balance
between central government and local administrations.

Commission II member Ferry Mursyidan Baldan said that the
House agreed to revise the law and concurred Surjadi's statement.

"Many articles of the law contradict the concept of regional
and central government," Ferry told The Jakarta Post after the
hearing, while citing the arrangement of natural resources may
create further misinterpretation.

He underlined that the House supported the government's plan
to revise the law. (dja)