House approves new province of Bangka-Belitung islands

House approves new province of Bangka-Belitung islands

JAKARTA (JP): Less than two months after Banten province was
formed, the House of Representatives passed on Tuesday a bill
giving Bangka-Belitung islands off South Sumatra new status as a
province.

In a plenary session presided over by House Deputy Speaker
Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, factions in the House gave their
unanimous support for the bill.

If the bill is enacted into law by President Abdurrahman Wahid
or within 30 days if the President fails to do so, Bangka-
Belitung will become de jure the country's 31st province.

Panda Nababan, the chairman of the House special committee
deliberating the bill, hailed its passage, saying it was the best
solution to break the two islands' isolation.

"From now on the two islands' future depends more on locals
and their political elite. The new province is rich with natural
resources and has qualified workers to explore those resources to
improve the welfare of the people," he said.

All the 11 factions at the House supported the development of
the new province but called for a fair election of a governor to
avoid a possible split among the people of the two islands.

"The provincial status should accelerate economic development
on the two islands and improve the locals' political awareness.
The new law must reflect the people's political commitment to
achieve progress, especially because of the new province's
strategic position in the Malacca Straits," Didi Supriyanto,
spokesman for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) faction, said.

Hundreds of Bangka and Belitung residents of Chinese and Malay
descent, who were present at the plenary session, cried in joy as
Soetardjo banged the gavel to seal the session. Some of the crowd
chanted a Malay song while others performed a Chinese barongsai
dance, drawing attention from legislators who attended the
plenary session.

"It's a historic day for the people of Bangka and Belitung
since we have struggled for a separate province since 1956," a
resident exclaimed.

Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi
Soedirdja, who along with Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, represented the government in the plenary
meeting.

Surjadi said the government would appoint an acting governor
to run an interim provincial administration before a permanent
governor would be elected.

"The acting governor's main tasks will be to run a temporary
provincial administration and facilitate the development of a
provincial legislative council, which will be expected to elect a
new permanent governor," he said.

He said the acting governor, along with the provincial
legislative council, was expected to draw up the new province's
draft budget for the 2001 fiscal year so that the development of
the new province could be completed next year.

Surjadi said the establishment of Banten province's
administration was expected to continue smoothly as the
government had appointed Hakamuddin Djamal as acting governor to
prepare the provincial administration's network.

Asked to comment on the plan for a Riau (Kepri) archipelago
province, the minister said the central government would give a
positive response to the House's initiative to propose a bill on
its development.

"The House should lobby intensively with Riau province's
administration and provincial legislature to win their support
for the bill on the Riau archipelago province as it is required
by the 1999 Regional Autonomy Law," he said.

The bill proposed by the House has met with opposition from
the Riau provincial administration and legislature. (rms)