Megawati steps up attacks on regional governments
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri stepped up her attack on Indonesia's regents and mayors on Sunday who have consistently opposed her move to revise the Autonomy Law, saying their lack of understanding of the law has resulted in deviations and abuses.
Megawati said that the country's regents and mayors were still confused as to how to implement the Autonomy Law and that such confusion had resulted in deviations from the concept of regional autonomy itself.
"Some regents have bought houses in Jakarta as their representative offices, when in fact there are a lot of hotels in the capital city," Megawati was quoted by Antara as saying in Medan, North Sumatra on Sunday.
Earlier, Megawati, who has been pushing for the revision of Law No. 22/1999 on regional administration, lashed out at regional authorities for excessive regionalism in recruiting civil servants, warning that such a move would eventually weaken the performance of regional administrations and hurt the country as a whole.
She also said on Sunday that the implementation of Law No. 22/1999 on regional administration, known also as the Autonomy Law, and Law No. 25/1999 on balanced finance has sparked discord between the home minister and governors on one side and regents and mayors on the other, and created rifts among regents and mayors.
"Governors are fighting with regents, the regents with other regents and district heads. Why do the regents and mayors go on their own? Are the home minister and governors no longer relevant?" she asked.
Commenting on Megawati's statement, the Association of Regional Administration (Apkasi) Chairman H.R. Syaukani denied on Sunday that there was conflict between the home minister and governors on one hand and regents or mayors on the other, saying that not a single regent has ever undermined the home minister or governors.
"Regional autonomy is being used as a scapegoat for high- ranking government officials to express their disappointment as much of their power has been taken over by the people at the regency level," he said.
He said moves by Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno to amend the two laws proved that the central government had no political will to implement regional autonomy properly.
"I think the central government's political will to implement regional autonomy properly in line with the aspirations of the people at large is very low," he said.
Regional autonomy was introduced on Jan. 1, 2001.
"The power and influence of Cabinet ministers and governors have been reduced and it is now the people (regents) who have the power," he said as quoted by Antara.
Megawati insisted that the revision of Autonomy Law was necessary as there were several fundamental problems with the very concept of autonomy under the current law. The problems, she said, were related to "our statehood and nationhood."
"We want to amend those items; indeed we must do it in order to strengthen our national unity and the integrity of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia," Megawati said in late January.
Her move, however, has met with strong resistance from leaders of Apkasi and legislative councils (Adeksi), who see the plan as part of efforts to re-centralize the government.
Two big factions in the House of Representatives (DPR), Golkar and the National Awakening Party, have also expressed their objection to Megawati's plan to revise the Autonomy Law.