YOGYAKARTA- Along this time, regional autonomy is indicated to have missed its destination. Under regional autonomy, many regions in Indonesia have put aside coordination with the Central Government. Not a few cases where the autonomy has made the regional spirit stronger, thus creating minor ‘kings’ in the regions. To prevent this condition, the spirit to advance the interests of the region in concern and the nation should be balanced.
“Don’t think about the regional interest only but also the national interest,” Akbar Tanjung, former speaker of the House of Representatives, said after the inauguration of Prof. Drs. Purwo Santoso, MA, Ph.D as professor of UGM, Tuesday (19/4).
Akbar added that the regional autonomy would create opportunities for people from those regions to become executive or legislative leaders. Thus, recruitment of regional leaders should be optimized to give better political education to the people.
“People should not become a political object to achieve momentary political interests. This should be improved,” he said.
To reporters, Akbar Tanjung said that he saw the role of the legislative and executive in regions was not balanced. The role of the regents/regional leaders is stronger and more dominant than that of the legislative. Akbar also hoped that the regional secretary should be kept professional as a career instead of political position.
On the speciality of Yogyakarta, Akbar agreed if the central and the House of Representatives (DPR) did not ignore the history of the people’s role towards Indonesia’s independence. In contrast, he did not agree on the referendum choice in Yogyakarta, or even disintegrating from the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
“I would not go further in that issue because it is the authority of the central government and the DPR. You need to meet a point of agreement,” Akbar said briefly.