Revision to law on regional autonomy on track

Revision to law on regional autonomy on track

JAKARTA (JP): The government is forging ahead with its plan to
revise the law on regional autonomy, a statute which has given
rise to many new and difficult issues, especially regarding the
relationship between the central government and regional
administrations.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said the revision of Law
No. 22/1999 was aimed at providing a realistic and consistent
legal basis for the decentralization process.

"The revision of the law is designed to create legal
consistency so as to help ensure the success of its
implementation," Hari said at a hearing with the House of
Representatives here on Monday.

Problems arising in connection with the implementation of the
law were highlighted during the hearing. Provincial governors,
and even the central government, were often powerless to control
the actions of the regents and mayors, who hold significant
powers under the law.

A House member gave as an example the fact that several
regents in Riau province had undertaken so-called comparative
studies in the United States even though such studies had no
significant relevance to the development of their regions.

Responding to the issue of the comparative studies conducted
by the Riau regents, Hari said that his department had received
reports about this but had no authority to ban them from going
abroad.

"They have the money. We cannot ban them from going abroad to
undertake comparative studies," said Hari, adding that it was the
responsibility of regional legislative council members to control
those regional chief executives who were abusing the public trust
placed in them.

Hari said that the regional autonomy law amendment bill would
give governors the authority to oversee the activities of the
regents and mayors in their respective jurisdictions.

The central government frequently receives complaints from the
regions in connection with the election of regional chief
executives, with the supporters of the defeated candidates often
lodging protests with the central government alleging rigged
elections.

Commenting on such complaints, Hari stressed that under the
regional autonomy law, the regions had the right to elect their
own leaders.

He stressed that the central government expected the leaders
in the provinces to be able to resolve their own problems.

"The regions should not return such problems to the central
government. They should be able to resolve their own problems.
Otherwise, regional autonomy will be meaningless," said Hari.

Hari also said that the government was studying the articles
of the regional autonomy law which were difficult to implement,
including those on maritime jurisdiction.

These articles presented difficulties for fishermen as they
were not allowed to enter the territorial water of a neighboring
jurisdiction unless they held the required permits.

Hari said the draft of the revised law was scheduled to be
submitted to the House of Representatives for deliberation in
November.

"I stress here that the revision of the law is not aimed at
creating a centralized government as feared in certain circles,"
he said, adding that the revision would be undertaken through the
amendment of those articles of the law whose implementation had
sparked controversy.

Other aspects to be revised included the form and structure of
regional administrations, basic concepts of decentralization, the
duties of regional councils and the rights of governors as
regards supervision, and conflicts between regions. (02)