Opposition grows against revision of autonomy law

Opposition grows against revision of autonomy law

Annastashya Emmanuelle and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government's controversial plan to revise Law No. 22/1999 on
Regional Administration met a new challenge on Tuesday when the
National Awakening Party's legislative faction said it would
oppose any move to revise the Autonomy Law that took effect in
January 2001.

"We must join hands in rejecting the revision move to allow
regional administrations to implement the law," legislator with
the National Awakening Party (PKB) Effendi Choirie said at a
meeting with leaders of the regional administration offices
(Apkasi) and legislative councils (Adeksi) in the House of
Representatives (DPR) here.

PKB became the second big party that has come out openly
rejecting President Megawati Soekarnoputri's move to revise the
Autonomy Law after Golkar said earlier this month that it would
reject any government plan before a thorough evaluation was
carried out on its implementation. Golkar and PKB have over 170
representatives combined in the DPR.

Once a close ally of Megawati, PKB's relations with her
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
deteriorated after the latter actively supported the People's
Consultative Assembly's Special Session that effectively ousted
former president Abdurrahman Wahid in July 2001. Abdurrahman is
PKB's founder and chief patron.

Meanwhile, PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Sutjipto
maintained on Tuesday that the revision was necessary.

"There are many aspects in the Autonomy Law that need to be
perfected. However, that does not mean that we intend to drop the
spirit of proceeding with regional autonomy," Sutjipto said after
the party's weekly meeting here. He did not elaborate.

Megawati, who has been accused of trying to derail the
decentralization process, insisted earlier that the revision was
needed as there were several fundamental problems with the very
concept of autonomy in its current form. The problems, she said,
were related to the country's "statehood and nationhood".

Adeksi, which claims to have the backing of 68 districts,
insisted on Tuesday that there was no problem with the
implementation of the Autonomy Law, and therefore the revision
was not warranted.

Adeksi Chairman Ali Hanafiah suggested that the government
should provide guidelines for the implementation of the law
instead of trying to revise it.

Earlier, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno revealed that
the revision plan had been discussed at a cabinet meeting on Jan.
23. He also said that Adeksi had approved the revision plan
mainly aimed at creating harmonious relations between Jakarta and
regional administrations.

But PKB legislator Susono Yusuf said on Tuesday that the
revision was designed to control the strengthening position of
the regional administrations vis-a-vis the central
administration.

Susono said he had met with Sabarno to discuss the proposal
and the minister admitted that the revision was designed to
control regional administrations.

"The existing Autonomy Law gives the regional administrations
superiority, therefore revision is needed," Susono quoted Sabarno
as saying.

The revision plan goes back to an MPR decree No.IV/MPR/2000
mandating the government to make preparations for the revisions
of Law No.22/1999 on Regional Administration and Law No.25/1999
on Balanced Finance.