Megawati still pushing for autonomy revision

Megawati still pushing for autonomy revision

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri told the minister of home
affairs to make an inventory of problems with the current
Autonomy Laws and get the word out immediately to governors,
regents and mayors so that they could understand the reasons
behind her administration's moves to revise the laws.

The President also instructed regional leaders not to comment
on autonomy if they did not fully grasp the very idea of it. She
said it would only create confusion among the general public.

"I want to emphasize that at this juncture there is no
intention whatsoever to reduce, cancel or to scrap the Autonomy
Laws," she told Indonesia's governors, regents and mayors
currently in Jakarta for a working meeting with Hari Sabarno, the
minister of home affairs.

"And to avoid debate that would only create new problems and
uneasiness among the people, I ask all of you to exercise self
restraint and do not issue statements, comments or opinions on
issues that you do not understand, as it would only obscure the
issue," she told them.

Megawati, who ascended to the presidency in July 2001 after
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) impeached Abdurrahman
Wahid, has come under constant attacks from critics for amending
existing Autonomy Laws. Most critics have accused her of
backtracking on the issue.

According to Megawati, there were several principal problems
with the very concept of autonomy, which took effect last year.
The problems, she said, were related to "our statehood and
nationhood".

"We need 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," she said.

"The autonomy we want to elucidate and strengthen will promote
a more effective government and further strengthen the integrity
of Indonesia," she added.

In a bid to appease a number of secessionist movements in the
country, the central government introduced on Jan. 1, 2001 the
Regional Autonomy Law, supported by Law No. 22/1999 on regional
administration and Law No. 25/1999 on fiscal balance.

Under those laws, all licensing authority in various sectors,
including mining, industry, forestry, agriculture, trade and
manpower was entrusted to the regions, while the central
government had full authority for foreign policy, defense,
monetary decisions and court affairs.

MPR Decree No.4/2000 authorized the government to review the
laws which caused many new and complicated problems, including
friction between the central government and regional
administrations, between provincial and regency administrations
and among the regions themselves.

According to Megawati, the regional and provincial leaders did
not fully understand the autonomy concept nor its ultimate
objectives.

"Please bear in mind that decentralization is not a simple
process of swiftly moving authority to provincial governments,"
she said.

Megawati also called on the local leaders to have a broader
perspective in viewing the regional autonomy package, instead of
just focusing on the terms which regulate their regional income,
and ignoring their greater responsibility to their people and the
central government.

"From the reports that I received, there are some poor
attitudes being displayed while fighting for the province's
income sources. Many have not dealt with the difficulties of
planning and controlling expenditures," Megawati commented,
adding that should this continue it could weaken the credibility
of local leaders.

Following the downfall of the heavily centralized government
during the presidency of Soeharto, Regional Autonomy Laws were
expected to bring the government closer to the public in order
that the delivery of goods and services could be improved. It was
also considered to be a means to make the country more
democratic.

However, even before the laws were put into effect, many
expressed concern, saying that the policy was just another
vehicle for regional officials to inflate their personal incomes.