Most regions support review to Autonomy Law

Most regions support review to Autonomy Law

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta

Most regional governments have thrown their weight behind the
revision of two laws on regional autonomy for the sake of
national unity and economic parity among them.

Of 448 regents and mayors attending a meeting with 30
governors here on Monday, the majority expressed support for the
revision, which is being deliberated at the House of
Representatives.

"Only four resource-rich regencies oppose the revision,
because they fear that their annual income from the exploration
of their rich natural resources may be reduced," East Sumba
Regent Umbu Mehang Kunda told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines
of the meeting.

The House is deliberating the revision of Law No. 22/1999 on
regional government and Law No. 25/1999 on fiscal balance between
the central and local governments. The two laws came into effect
only four years ago after a one-year delay.

Kunda said Kutai Kartanegara in East Kalimantan, Natuna in
Riau and two other regencies rich with natural resources in Riau
and Kalimantan challenged the planned revision.

"The current laws enrich the already wealthy regencies while
the poor will remain poor because the national income is not
distributed evenly among provinces and regencies," he said.

A village in mineral rich Kutai has received Rp 2 billion
(US$217,390) from the regency's annual budget over the last four
years, the equivalent of East Sumba regency's annual budget.

"The concept of the unitary state is not relevant unless the
disparity among the regions is eradicated," Kunda said.

Batam regent Nyat Kadir agreed, saying the authority given to
regions in dealing with their internal affairs needed tighter
supervision to avoid power abuses among regional government
heads, conflict among local elite groups and conflict of
interests among regions.

"Frankly speaking, corruption has been rampant among local
elite groups because of the lack of supervision from the central
government and governors, and the power abuse has a lot to do
with the incorrect perception and inaccurate implementation of
the regional autonomy," he said.

Batam, which borders Malaysia and Singapore, is home to around
1,500 domestic and foreign companies and a popular tourist
destination.

Kadir lauded the bill revising the Autonomy Law that
stipulates a direct election of regional heads but requires
regents and mayors to be accountable to governors and the
president.

The House's draft focuses on direct election of governors,
regents and mayors while the government's draft proposes more
revisions to the central government's role in supervision and
education, appointment of local high-ranking officials and a
fairer distribution of autonomy funds.

The House's draft also requires provincial and regental
legislatures to wait for court verdicts before they propose the
dismissal of regional heads to the president.

The revision bills have met with opposition from the Regency
Administrations' Association (Apkasi), which has accused the
government of reclaiming the power it had given to regents and
municipalities under the Autonomy Law.

Home minister Hari Sabarno has recently denied the allegation,
saying the revision was aimed at minimizing conflicts and
political chaos.

"Many local elite groups have abused their power under
autonomy to enrich themselves by extorting investors, imposing
illegal fees on people and selling trees in protected forests to
investors. Such power abuses must be halted," the minister said
recently.

He said representatives of both rich and poor regencies were
involved in preparing the bills to revise the laws.