DPD, governors to supervise autonomy

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 06/05/2007 9:07 AM

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and the Association of Provincial Administrations (APPSI) signed a joint statement here Monday to closely supervise the implementation of regional autonomy.

Despite their unity, however, both sides emphasized different points of the joint statement with governors insisting the central government has yet to show enough political will to implement the six-year-old regional autonomy policy.

Meanwhile, the DPD said the proposed amendment to the 1945 Constitution had drawn support from provincial administrations in their endeavor to empower regional representatives.

While APPSI chairman Sutiyoso declined to comment on the joint agreement, secretary general Fadel Muhammad expressed the regions' disappointment with the central government, which, he said, has yet to issue the necessary regulations to speed regional autonomy.

""The law on regional administrations mandates the government to issue at least 16 regulations, but only several have been issued. The regulations are needed to regulate the relations between provincial governments and regental or municipal administrations,"" Fadel told a media conference.

""The regions are still also awaiting government regulations on transportation, investment, special planning and permit issuance.""

He said disharmony between governors, regents and mayors and slow provincial economic growth was connected to the absence of government regulations to enforce the law on regional administrations.

The chairman of the DPD, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, asked political parties to accept the fact that the proposed amendment to the 1945 Constitution had won full support from the regions.

""At least 30 governors or senior local officials, tasked by their governors to attend the meeting, support the proposed amendment. We want to show that regions and the people are behind it,"" he said.

The DPD has requested that the People's Consultative Assembly hold a plenary session to amend Article 22 (d) of the Constitution to give regional representatives full legislative rights in creating legislation relating to regional autonomy, fiscal balances, education, religious affairs and the development of new regions. But the proposal has drawn objections from major factions in the lawmaking body.

Separately, chief spokesman for the Home Ministry, Saut Situmorang, said the central government has already issued 13 regulations and is preparing more to better enforce the 2004 law on regional administration.

""Seven draft regulations, including on inter-regional cooperation, endorsement of village secretaries as civil servants and regional administration organizations, are nearly completed and will be issued in the immediate future,"" he said.

Situmorang said the draft regulation on power division between the central government, provincial administrations and regental and municipal administrations was under deliberation.

Among the 13 government regulations issued to enforce the regional administration law are a revised government regulation on the formation and merging of new regions, a regulation on local elections, a regulation on regional administrations' accountancy standards and a regulation on protocol and the financial status of councilors and chief councilors.

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