"We found that some 20 provinces and 239 cities and districts need to have their legal basis rectified because (they) are still based on emergency laws, and some laws are establishing multiple provinces," chair of Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Ahmad D.K. Tanjung, said during a working visit to Padang, West Sumatra, on Thursday.
According to the 1945 Constitution, only one province can be established based on one law, and a single law cannot serve as the legal basis for the formation of multiple provinces, the legislator added.
Thus, West Sumatra, Jambi, and Riau provinces, whose establishment is based on a single law— Emergency Law No. 19 of 1957—are among the provinces whose legal basis must be rectified, he pointed out.
"The consequences of one legal basis to form multiple provinces is that regional potentials and characteristics are not accentuated in the law. We are currently rectifying this, and we hope we can resolve all issues in the current period," Tanjung said.
Commission II has deliberated on the legal basis for provinces in Sulawesi and Kalimantan regions, he said, adding that discussions on the legal basis for provinces in Sumatra are ongoing.
He confirmed that the parliamentary commission has also established a working committee for West Sumatra, Riau, and Jambi province bills, which is currently receiving inputs from the provinces to enrich the bills.
"If provinces have their own law, then (the law) can elucidate (the province's) potentials, characters, and development visions," Tanjung said.
Meanwhile, West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi, Riau Governor Syamsuar, and Jambi Governor Al Haris were unified in proposing that local wisdom be elucidated in the province bills. They also proposed the inclusion of environmental issues and palm production profit-sharing schemes in the bills.
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Translator: Miko Elfisha, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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