Regional autonomy still shuns public: Survey

Regional autonomy still shuns public: Survey

Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After three years of implementation, regional autonomy remains a
distant ideal as it has failed to ensure a balance of power
between the local governments and the stakeholders, according to
a recent study.

In its Rapid Decentralization Appraisal (IRDA) study, the Asia
Foundation highlighted the problem of limited public
participation in the policy-making process and its monitoring,
thus hampering the public accountability of local governments.

The program was supported by the US Agency for International
Development (USAID).

Jon Lindborg, acting USAID mission director, said during the
IRDA presentation here on Wednesday that regional autonomy had
placed Indonesia at the center of a process of change replete
with huge challenges, particularly regarding the country's
readiness to provide better services and accommodate public
participation.

"Has each individual's voice been accommodated? This is
necessary as we believe that all politics start locally," he
said.

IRDA revealed that public participation in policy-making in
all regions remained low, with the public often becoming
spectators in the democratic process.

During the process of policy-making, public opinion has often
been regarded as a discourse in response to the policy, without
any power to affect the process, the report said.

The public have more often utilized informal channels such as
dialogs, public hearings and letters of complaint in the mass
media to express support or opposition to a certain policy.

However, local governments often prefer formal mechanisms for
promoting public participation through institutional discussions
or plenary meeting, events that have failed to attract the
interest of the public.

The problem, the survey said, resulted mainly from different
perceptions among policy makers and the public on the role of
public monitoring in bylaw implementation.

This is evident in some areas where local officials assume
that public participation is not binding and will only be heeded
if necessary.

One of a few good examples is the case of Sumbawa in East Nusa
Tenggara, where the regional legislature has taken the initiative
of inviting public participation in drafting of its bylaws.

In 2002, the Sumbawa legislature endorsed a bylaw on forestry
by involving participation from the public, non-governmental
organizations and labor organizations.

The IRDA program proposed several recommendations to boost
public participation in policy-making and monitoring in local
administrations.

It suggested that local governments actively and intensively
hold dialogs with the stakeholders to build common perceptions on
accountability and public participation in policy-making.

Public awareness of the significance of participation in a
democratic government is also needed to ensure effective local
development.

The findings of the study will submitted by the Asia
Foundation to all local decision makers, according to Hana A.
Satriyo, the foundation's senior program officer.