House debates autonomy laws

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta

Lawmakers agreed to accept the government-sponsored bill revising the local autonomy laws as their main reference point when they began deliberating amendments to the laws on Tuesday.

The addition of the government's bill is likely to prolong the debate because the government's draft is more comprehensive than the revision prepared by the House of Representatives (DPR), which only focuses on the direct election of regional government heads.

The agreement was reached following a closed-door meeting between Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, Finance Minister Boediono and leaders of the main House factions.

"We have agreed to simultaneously discuss the two bills," Agustin Teras Narang, the chairman of the House special committee on autonomy reform said.

Law No. 22/1999 on regional administration and Law No. 25/1999, which sets a fiscal balance between the central government and regional administrations, came into force in 2000.

The laws have caused confusion about the distribution of power between local and central government. The DPR has also ordered a review of hundreds of local bylaws, which it says contain articles incompatible with national laws.

Earlier this year, the House initiated a draft bill that introduced the direct election of governors, mayors, and regents. Under the existing Law No. 22/1999, governors, mayors, and regents are elected by regional legislatures.

The government-sponsored bill, while it also includes direct elections, restricts the authority of regional administrations to unilaterally exploit natural resources and to issue bylaws.

The result of the closed-door meeting was a victory for Hari, who had been pushing for the government's bill to be included in the debate.

The legislators had earlier insisted on deliberating their draft before moving onto the government's.

Teras of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said different factions of the House would aim for a consensus when debating the drafts.

During the debate, the House's special committee would hear from autonomy experts and local policy makers, he said.

The revision of the autonomy laws is a top priority of the current House, which will complete its term in August.