PBB promises regional autonomy

SURABAYA: Chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) Yusril Ihza Mahendra promised if it won the elections, it would fight for regional autonomy which was important for the creation of a strong administrative system.

He said the number of provinces should be larger. "In fact, we want the number of provinces here to be 40 plus 12 special provinces," he said in an address at party gathering at the Pancasila sports stadium here on Sunday.

Yusril, a state administrative law expert, said larger regional autonomy is an answer to the controversy surrounding the question of federalism versus the current unitary state system.

"Grant the provinces autonomy to make them strong. By doing so, the country will, at the most, become a quasi-federal state and not a federal one, which would most likely become a source of conflict," he said.

"A vast province could be divided into several new provinces according to the people's wishes," he said.