---------------------------------------------------------- FREE Subscribe/UNsubscribe Indonesia Daily News Online go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 Free Email @KotakPos.com visit: http://my.kotakpos.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------- The Jakarta Post, 13 December 1999 PDI Perjuangan Rules Out Option Of Federal State JAKARTA (JP): Poll winner the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) wrapped up on Sunday night its national meeting with a statement rejecting adoption of a federal system for the country. "A unitary state is an unnegotiable price. It will become our political stance," PDI Perjuangan secretary-general Alexander Litaay said. Alex recounted the country's experiment of applying a federated state during the reign of founding president Sukarno in 1950, a move which lasted only eight months. "It was proven that federalism was rejected by the people," Alex said, adding that the party would oppose any breaches of the 1945 Constitution, which rules that the Republic of Indonesia is a unitary state. He said the demand for federalism had mounted because people rejected the way former governments managed the unitary state instead of the system itself. "The federalism demand reflects protests against mismanagement by the former governments," Alex said. He said an immediate enactment of Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy and Law No. 25/1999 on fiscal balance between central government and regional administrations would be more appropriate measures to counter federalism demands. He played down a possibility of criticism being lodged by PDI Perjuangan supporters and people in general for the party's rejection of federalism. "How many percent of the public support federalism?" he said "Why should we be afraid to defend the unitary state, which in fact was the ideal of our founding fathers who proclaimed our independence?" PDI Perjuangan deputy chairman Dimyati Hartono maintained the party line, saying that the idea of federalism only received support from a small proportion of the country's population. "We cannot tolerate a federal state," Dimyati said, adding that PDI Perjuangan would firmly uphold the unitary state. The party, led by Soekarno's daughter -- Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri -- won more than 31 percent of the total vote in the June elections for 158 seats in the House of Representatives. People's Consultative Assembly Speaker (MPR) Amien Rais, who is also the National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman, is a staunch proponent of federalism. Amien has repeatedly called for a federal state, saying the move is needed to maintain unity and provide regional governments with more revenue and power. PDI Perjuangan's faction in the House lodged last week a protest against Amien. The faction said Amien had violated the oath taken for his MPR speaker position, which specifically pledges a willingness to uphold the unitary state. Amien denied the accusation, saying that he discussed federalism in a personal capacity. In a recent meeting of the MPR's Ad Hoc Committee, Hamdan Zulva from the Crescent Star Party faction and Patrialis Akbar from the Reform faction urged the Assembly to throw open the idea of a federal state to the public for further discussion. "Federalism should be revived in an attempt to implement a united states of Indonesia that will ensure justice for all people," Patrialis said. The Reform faction was formed by PAN and the Justice Party (PK). Patrialis is a legislator from PAN. Other factions in the Ad Hoc committee, including the Golkar Party of Reform, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Indonesian Military (TNI) have underlined their commitment to maintaining the unitary state as stipulated by the Constitution. The debate over federalism was sparked by demands from the natural resources-rich provinces of Riau and East Kalimantan that Indonesia adopt a federated state. Aceh and Irian Jaya have demanded independence. (jun) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 16 Dec 1999 jam 09:37:37 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
