Susilo pledges to implement Papua special autonomy law
Susilo pledges to implement Papua special autonomy law
Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta
Presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged Wednesday
to implement fully the special autonomy law for Papua by speeding
up the establishment of the stalled Papuan People's Assembly
(MRP).
Susilo said that if it was serious about improving the welfare
of Papuans and creating more opportunities for them to manage
their own affairs, the next government could not but focus on
implementing Law No. 21/2001 on special autonomy.
"The problems in Papua can only be solved by the full
application of the law ... if I am elected, I will speed up the
signing of the government regulation on the MRP," said Susilo
during a business luncheon organized by the Mercantile Athletic
Club.
Susilo added, however, that the MRP would not replace the
functions of the legislative or executive bodies.
Under the autonomy law, the MRP, whose membership should
consist of representatives of traditional/tribal leaders,
religious communities and women, is assigned various powers and
duties, including the approval of candidate governors and deputy
governor proposed by provincial legislature (DPRD) members.
Susilo said that the current government had actually finished
drafting the regulation on the MRP, the key element in the
application of the special autonomy law, but it remained unclear
what the situation currently was as the draft had not been signed
as yet by President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
"The draft regulation is already ready. I just don't
understand why the President has not signed it," he said.
Susilo served as Megawati Soekarnoputri's coordinating
minister for political and security affairs for almost three
years before resigning in March.
The government has been widely accused of dragging its feet in
enforcing the special autonomy law.
Susilo, co-founder of the Democratic Party, said that he would
revise all laws that contradicted the special autonomy law,
including the controversial Law No. 45/1999 on the partition of
Papua into three smaller provinces.
"In order to ensure that the special autonomy law works
properly, we will need to look at and possibly revise other laws
that do not conform with it," he said.
The special autonomy law stipulates that Papua province covers
what is now known as Papua, West Irian Jaya and Central Irian
Jaya, and that any move to split up the province must receive the
prior approval of the MRP.
Various contradictory laws, however, have been enforced by the
Megawati government with the full knowledge of Susilo.
Susilo also pledged to bolster his relationship with the media
in order to increase the accountability of his administration to
the public.
"I respect freedom of the press. I will not appoint a
spokesman to talk on my behalf. I will talk directly to the
press. I believe we can maintain a good relationship," said
Susilo.
Susilo, who is a retired four-star Army general, said that he
would hold regular monthly meetings with the press.
Alluding to his alleged involvement in the July 27, 1996,
violence at the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in
Central Jakarta, Susilo said that he was concerned that the case
was now being used as a political tool to discredit him.
"I welcome the reopening of the case so that it can be clearly
established who was involved and who is innocent. Let the truth
be revealed," said Susilo.
An investigating team comprising police, prosecutors and the
Military Police is set to reopen the investigation into the
violence, which claimed five lives and injured 149. Another 23
people are still missing, according to official figures.
Susilo was the chief of the Jakarta Military Garrison in 1996
when the incident occurred. He was questioned by the team as a
witness in the case in 2000 but was not named a suspect.