Presidential instruction

Presidential instruction

From Koran Tempo

This nation has been turned upside down by endless conflicts
and various vested interests, ranging from the hike in fuel
prices to conflicts of interest among our public representatives
opposing the issuance of Presidential Instruction No 1/2003 as an
executory regulation for Law No. 45/1999 on the division of Papua
into three provinces.

The objections have come from a number of Golkar Faction
members, who have urged the government to consistently implement
the law on special autonomy for Papua. The party's objection to
the enactment of Law No. 45 is a stale political joke, something
disgusting to see or hear. This Law was passed in response to the
desire of some people living in Papua to have their own provinces
in the western part of the island.

This aspiration was warmly welcomed and approved by the
provincial councillors from Golkar. Based on this aspiration, the
government, along with the legislature, hammered out the draft
law. However, given the then unfavorable situation, the
government decided to postpone its implementation. The issuance
of Presidential Instruction No 1/2003 will, as a matter of fact,
represent an alternative solution to the Papuan problem. I am
suspicious that behind the objections to the issuance of the
Presidential Instruction, there is something fishy going on here.

Golkar people have opposed an increase in the number of
provinces in Papua as Golkar will benefit from there continuing
to be a single province by freely using the special autonomy
funds to pursue its own interests in the next general election.
Apart from this, objecting to increasing the number of Papuan
provinces will mean encouraging the use of special autonomy funds
in the interests of the Free Papuan Movement.

ROBBY KRISIFU

Tangerang, Banten