Local leaders against forming separate province in Riau

Local leaders against forming separate province in Riau

Haidar Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau

A top councillor and influential community leader warned on
Monday that there would be public distrust in the law if the
House of Representatives passed a bill to establish a separate
province in Riau.

The provincial legislative council speaker, Chaidir, told The
Jakarta Post the House would be violating Law No. 22/1999 on
regional autonomy if it endorsed the bill on Friday,

A respected member of the Riau Regional Autonomy Advisory
Council, Tabrani Rab, threatened to resign from the council as
soon as the House votes in favor of the separate province, which
will cover the current regency of Riau Islands and rich islands
of Batam, Natuna and Karimun,

Chaidir said the approval of the bill would reduce the respect
of the House in the eyes of the public.

"By approving the bill, they (House) will be disregarding a
law which they themselves have endorsed," Chaidir said. He was
referring to the Autonomy Law which stipulates that the
establishment of a separate province requires approval from the
related governor and the provincial legislative council.

Both the Riau governor and legislature have challenged the
plan to form a separate province.

"The public will no longer recognize the laws passed by the
House," Chaidir warned. "At worst, nobody will comply with the
law."

He admitted that he had not been informed whether the House
would vote for the bill.

"Formally I have not received any information about what will
happen on July 19. Some House members from Riau even told me that
the approval remained uncertain," Chaidir said.

Separately, Tabrani suggested that the House take the existing
law and the Riau people's aspirations into account in its
decision.

"How could the House members dare to dismiss the Autonomy Law,
which they passed in 1999?" he said.

"I will resign from the autonomy advisory council and ask for
its dissolution if the House turns a deaf ear to our warning and
approves a split in Riau."

He also called on all provinces in the country to dismiss all
laws approved by the House if the House passes the bill to create
a separate province in Riau.