Revision of regional autonomy goes on: Hari

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Home Affairs Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno asserted on Friday that the government would continue revising the law on regional autonomy, despite objection from regents and other representatives of regional administrations.

"The government will not postpone the revision of the law on regional autonomy, because local administrations have issued many regulations that contradict the law," Hari told reporters after Friday prayers at the ministry.

"Of course we respect their objections as an aspiration of the association (of regency administrations). But they should address them to the House of Representatives and not to us (the government)," he said.

The regency administration association (Apkasi) demanded earlier that central government postpone its plan to revise the autonomy law, pending a comprehensive evaluation involving both central government and local administrations.

The regents also said the revisions were not yet necessary as the law, which came into effect early this year, had not yet been fully implemented due to the government's failure to support the program.

Many have criticized the implementation of Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy and Law No. 25/1999 on fiscal balance, as the laws have also had a negative impact. For example, investors are confused about which administration -- local or central -- has the authority to issue permits.

Several regencies have even issued their own regulations without any guidance from Jakarta.

Demands for autonomy have increasingly been aired after the downfall in 1998 of the New Order regime, which was widely resented for ignoring development in the provinces. The strongest demands for autonomy came from provinces rich in natural resources such as Irian Jaya, Riau and Aceh.

The program, nevertheless, has also been considered a potential threat, which could lead to the country's disintegration. Even the then Vice President, Megawati Soekarnoputri, criticized the autonomy concept, saying that the laws, especially on regional autonomy, went against the principle of Indonesia as a unitary state, as laid down in the 1945 Constitution.

Hari added that the plan to revise the laws had been made in response to demands from the People's Consultative Assembly and the House of Representatives. The government immediately set up a team to work on the revisions.

"As part of the government's structure, the regents do not have any choice other than to follow any decision made by the central government. Apkasi should not promote such a political maneuver as it is not a political institution," Hari warned.

When asked whether central government would accommodate the local administrations in formulating the revisions, Hari said, "We should hear the opinions of academics or nongovernmental organizations, as we consider that they will give us objective suggestions."