No problem: Riau on Riau archipelago province

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Saleh Djasit said Riau province would consent to the establishment of Riau archipelago (Kepri) as a new province, once the proposal wins political support from the region's residents, as well as community and religious leaders.

"If the people of the archipelago agree on the proposal, then the Riau provincial administration has no objection to the formation of Riau archipelago province," Dun Usul, who led a delegation from the archipelago at a meeting with the governor, quoted him as saying on Friday.

Efforts to establish the new province began when aspirations for regional autonomy began simmering four years ago.

But the movement foundered because not all of the four regency legislative councils in Riau archipelago gave their support to the proposal.

Within the Riau archipelago, so far, only the members of the Natuna Legislative Council have ruled out the proposal, which they said would cause problems for the region.

The proposal to establish a Riau archipelago province has been strongly felt after a number of local figures and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) brought their support for the proposal to the central government and the House of Representatives.