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Fledging Banggai Islands on the brink of new division
Everything is in flux in Salakan, the new capital of the newly established Banggai Islands regency in Central Sulawesi
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Everything is in flux in Salakan, the new capital of the newly established Banggai Islands regency in Central Sulawesi.
The regency, responsible for the greatest amount of seaweed production in Central Sulawesi, moved its capital in June from Banggai on nearby Banggai Island, and has set up its supporting offices and agencies in temporary buildings, ranging from old edifices to rented houses.
The city offers few buildings with modern infrastructure and those that do exist are far from adequate to meet demand. The buildings, houses and roads are mostly in dismal condition.
The only significant structures visible in the city are the regency legislative council building and the regent's house, which are still under construction. The regent's house, located in a hilly area stands in isolation surrounded by bushes.
There is also a newly built hospital standing in the hills rising from the beautiful beach, and still unutilized.
Banggai Islands Regent Irianto Malinggong said he is trying to build infrastructure, ranging from government offices and electric power plants to road networks in Salakan in particular and around Peling Island, where Salakan is located.
"There is much to be done here. Our target is to complete the construction of the legislative council building this year before continuing with construction of government offices next year," he said.
Banggai Island regency, located off the tip of Central Sulawesi's eastern peninsula, is the only archipelagic regency in Central Sulawesi. It consists of 123 islands, the five major ones being: Peling (about 2,300 square kilometers), Banggai (268), Bangkurung (145), Salue Besar (84) and Labobo (80).
Of the 123 islands, only 69 are inhabited, for a combined population of about 161,900 spread across 19 districts and 187 villages, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency.
The Banggai Islands regency, once part of the Banggai regency, was set up in 1999 under Law No. 51/1999 on the establishment of three new regencies -- Buol, Morowali and Banggai Island -- all in Central Sulawesi.
Soon after its establishment, the regency implemented a number of infrastructure projects, ranging from road networks and bridges to other supporting facilities. Unfortunately, while the projects proceeded slowly, sociopolitical unrest and administrative obstacles arose from conflicting opinions about the relocation of the capital from Banggai to Salakan as of early this year.
The capital relocation has forced the regency to contend with threatening disintegration and fractiousness among the residents. Banggai residents Island insist the capital should have stayed in Banggai while Peling residents demand the capital should have been moved to Salakan.
Banggai resident insisted the capital stay put because Banggai has better supporting infrastructure than Salakan. They also claimed that they contributed a larger portion of the Rp 6 billion (US$638,000) collected in revenue in 2007.
However, Peling residents put forward their own argument why the capital ought to be moved to Salakan. About 70 percent of the regency population lived on Peling, which has barely been touched by development programs.
Moving the capital to Salakan would mean administration services would be located closer to the majority of the population, they said.
Both sides have their arguments and consensus has not been found.
The capital relocation sparked clashes between the two sides several times. On Feb. 28, 2008, residents clashed with security officers leaving four residents dead and another 20 injured.
The conflict culminated in July. Local administration offices, especially those on Banggai Island, were paralyzed and shut down for nearly two weeks.
Both sides have support from two conflicting articles within Law 51/1999. Paragraph 3 of Article 10 states the capital of Banggai Islands regency is Banggai, whereas Article 11 states the capital must be moved to Salakan within five years after its establishment.
Banggai residents have considered Article 11 illegal, saying the language was drafted in secret at the central government and the House of Representatives, which has the authority to give the green light for the establishment of any newly partitioned jurisdictions in the country.
The central government is currently being asked to help settle the dispute by responding to a proposal to divide the Banggai Islands regency again into two regencies. Banggai Island is asking to be declared an independent regency under the proposed name of Banggai Laut (ocean) regency.
"It's up to the central government whether to approve the separation of the Banggai Islands regency," Irianto said, adding a proposal for the establishment of the Banggai Ocean regency is up for deliberation in the House of Representatives.
