Regions want faction at MPR reinstated
Regions want faction at MPR reinstated
JAKARTA (JP): The Forum of Regional Representatives in the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has renewed its call for the
reinstatement of its own faction given that the assembly is
planning to hold two sessions within the next three months.
The forum's chairman, Oesman Sapta, said regional
representatives deserved their own faction to enable them to
channel the aspirations of people in the provinces both during
the MPR special session and its annual session.
"These two sessions are major events where all parts of the
nation, including regional representatives, will decide on the
country's leadership, the reform movement and regional autonomy,"
Oesman said after a consolidation meeting of the forum here on
Saturday.
Oesman, who represents West Kalimantan in the Assembly, said
the forum was upset by the MPR's failure to stand by its
commitment to reestablish the regional representatives faction,
which was dissolved during the 1999 MPR session. During its
annual session last August, the MPR agreed to reinstate the
faction within four months.
Hatta, deputy chairman of the forum, asserted that the
regional representatives had the right to fight for regional
interests in the MPR if embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid was
to deliver his accountability statement before the highest law
making body at its special session to be held in August.
"Not only the political parties, but the regions have their
own responsibilities and political interests in determining the
country's future," Hatta said.
Asked to comment on the conflict between the President and the
House of Representatives, Hatta said the forum had repeatedly
called on both the President and the House to sit down together
and engage in a dialog to seek a peaceful solution to all of the
nation's problems, including the conflict between the executive
and legislature.
"Both the President and the major parties should leave their
own interests behind them and prioritize the major problems the
nation is facing," he said, warning that their protracted dispute
would have repercussions in troubled provinces.
He regretted the fact that the reform movement had gone beyond
the law and that this had endangered national unity and tarnished
the central government's image in remote regions.
Hatta, however, dismissed the President's recent statement
that six provinces would declare their independence if the
President were to be impeached at the MPR special session.
"We are representing provinces and we are committed to
maintaining the unitary state. The people really do not care
about the conflict between the members of the political elite and
about who should lead the nation. Of the greatest importance is
that the government pays serious attention to development
programs so as to enable people to survive the ongoing economic
crisis," he asserted.
Hatta also said that regional representatives needed a faction
in the Assembly to channel people's aspirations about regional
autonomy during the MPR's next annual session.
Since its inception in January, regional autonomy had given
rise to fundamental problems that had to be brought up at the
MPR's annual session so that solutions could be found, he said.
"The main problems are that the putting into effect of
regional autonomy has given rise to confusion in numerous
provinces, and that the central government has retained its
control over the regions' internal affairs despite the
decentralization of power," he said.
He, however, admitted that many regencies had taken measures
that went beyond the purview of the regional autonomy law due to
the absence of regulations and guidelines on the implementation
of regional autonomy.
"The absence of regulations and guidelines is connected to the
ineffective administration and the prolonged conflict between the
President and the House," he said. (rms)
JAKARTA (JP): The Forum of Regional Representatives in the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has renewed its call for the
reinstatement of its own faction given that the assembly is
planning to hold two sessions within the next three months.
The forum's chairman, Oesman Sapta, said regional
representatives deserved their own faction to enable them to
channel the aspirations of people in the provinces both during
the MPR special session and its annual session.
"These two sessions are major events where all parts of the
nation, including regional representatives, will decide on the
country's leadership, the reform movement and regional autonomy,"
Oesman said after a consolidation meeting of the forum here on
Saturday.
Oesman, who represents West Kalimantan in the Assembly, said
the forum was upset by the MPR's failure to stand by its
commitment to reestablish the regional representatives faction,
which was dissolved during the 1999 MPR session. During its
annual session last August, the MPR agreed to reinstate the
faction within four months.
Hatta, deputy chairman of the forum, asserted that the
regional representatives had the right to fight for regional
interests in the MPR if embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid was
to deliver his accountability statement before the highest law
making body at its special session to be held in August.
"Not only the political parties, but the regions have their
own responsibilities and political interests in determining the
country's future," Hatta said.
Asked to comment on the conflict between the President and the
House of Representatives, Hatta said the forum had repeatedly
called on both the President and the House to sit down together
and engage in a dialog to seek a peaceful solution to all of the
nation's problems, including the conflict between the executive
and legislature.
"Both the President and the major parties should leave their
own interests behind them and prioritize the major problems the
nation is facing," he said, warning that their protracted dispute
would have repercussions in troubled provinces.
He regretted the fact that the reform movement had gone beyond
the law and that this had endangered national unity and tarnished
the central government's image in remote regions.
Hatta, however, dismissed the President's recent statement
that six provinces would declare their independence if the
President were to be impeached at the MPR special session.
"We are representing provinces and we are committed to
maintaining the unitary state. The people really do not care
about the conflict between the members of the political elite and
about who should lead the nation. Of the greatest importance is
that the government pays serious attention to development
programs so as to enable people to survive the ongoing economic
crisis," he asserted.
Hatta also said that regional representatives needed a faction
in the Assembly to channel people's aspirations about regional
autonomy during the MPR's next annual session.
Since its inception in January, regional autonomy had given
rise to fundamental problems that had to be brought up at the
MPR's annual session so that solutions could be found, he said.
"The main problems are that the putting into effect of
regional autonomy has given rise to confusion in numerous
provinces, and that the central government has retained its
control over the regions' internal affairs despite the
decentralization of power," he said.
He, however, admitted that many regencies had taken measures
that went beyond the purview of the regional autonomy law due to
the absence of regulations and guidelines on the implementation
of regional autonomy.
"The absence of regulations and guidelines is connected to the
ineffective administration and the prolonged conflict between the
President and the House," he said. (rms)