House passes bill on establishment of Banten province
House passes bill on establishment of Banten province
JAKARTA (JP): Banten residents need only wait for
President Abdurrahman Wahid's endorsement before they can declare
themselves independent from West Java province.
Hundreds of supporters and residents inside and outside the
plenary hall of the House of Representatives, which approved the
establishment of Banten as a province on Wednesday, cheered after
House Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, who chaired the
plenary session, rapped his gavel as a sign of approval.
"Thanks to the House members and the government for the
completion of the bill. I also congratulate the people of
Banten," Soetardjo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) said.
Constitutionally, the President should ratify the bill within
30 days after it is passed by the House. Banten will become the
country's 28th province after North Maluku.
Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi
Soedirdja hailed the establishment of Banten province, saying
that the whole process had the backing of the Banten community.
"The process has been very smooth and democratic. We hope that
the establishment of Banten province will help improve the local
people's welfare and develop a more democratic community,"
Surjadi said in the plenary session.
He said the support of the people was vital in order to avoid
failure in the establishment of a new province, such as happened
with the establishment of three provinces in Irian Jaya which was
rejected by its people.
During Wednesday's session, all 10 factions of the House
agreed on the establishment of Banten province.
The PDI Perjuangan faction agreed on the establishment of the
province, but said that it should be within the framework of the
Unitary State of Indonesia.
"The establishment of the province should avoid narrow ethnic
sentiment and regionalism," the faction's spokesman, Yoseph
Umarhadi, said.
He said the faction also hoped the establishment of the
province would be followed with a democratization process at a
local level and an improvement in public services.
The United Development Party (PPP) faction also welcomed the
separation of Banten from West Java province, saying Banten's
poverty was caused by geographical distance from the West Java
capital.
"Poverty has only made the area the backyard of or an
insignificant part of West Java," PPP faction spokesman Endin
A.J. Soefihara said.
The administrative area of Banten, as it currently stands,
occupies 8,200 square kilometers and has a population of over
nine million. It has the poorest community in West Java.
Many claim the revenue from the Banten area, which has several
huge industrial plants and tourist destinations, has been mostly
absorbed by the West Java province and the central government.
Separately, Golkar Party legislator and Banten native Ekky
Syachrudin said he would accept being nominated governor of the
new province.
"It's only natural to want to better our position. I would not
reject being chosen by the people," Ekky told reporters after the
plenary session.
He urged Surjadi to soon appoint an acting governor for the
province, and that the acting governor should immediately prepare
the establishment of Banten legislative council.
Ekky said the election of a governor could be held after the
establishment of the council, based on the results of last year's
general election.
PDI Perjuangan won the most votes in the Banten area in last
year's elections, while PPP and Golkar ranked second and third
respectively.
According to Article 3 of the law on the establishment of
Banten province, Banten will consist of four regencies (Serang,
Pandeglang, Lebak and Tangerang) and two mayoralties (Tangerang
and Cilegon), which were formerly part of West Java province.
The law stipulates that Serang will be the province's capital
(Article 7).
The proposal to establish Banten as a province was previously
rejected by West Java province. But relentless pressure from the
Banten community, the central government and House members forced
the West Java administration to eventually endorse the proposal.
West Java Governor R. Nuriana said he had no objection to the
establishment of Banten province as it has been decided by the
central government.
"It's like having a son or a daughter who wants to get married
and become independent. We'll be fine as long as it (Banten
province establishment) makes them (Banten people) happy,"
Nuriana said on Tuesday night.
He admitted that the separation of Banten would reduce West
Java's revenue, especially from vehicular taxes and tourism.
(25/jun)