"Can the drafts of the bills on West Sumatra, Jambi, Riau, East Nusa Tenggara, and West Nusa Tenggara provinces be finalized to proceed to the second reading in the next DPR RI plenary session?" Commission II chair Ahmad Doli Kurnia queried party fractions, Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) Committee I, and government representatives during the commission's meeting here on Tuesday.
Parliamentary fractions, the DPD RI Committee, and the government -- represented by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian -- all concurred on finalizing the bill drafts for further deliberation at the plenary session.
The provincial bills' working committee head Syamsurizal remarked that the legal basis of provinces should be revisited, as the basis of some provinces is outdated.
The legislator called to update the provincial legal basis since some provincial laws are still derived from past emergency laws that do not accentuate the characteristics of the regions and fail to conform with the prevailing legal norm on the establishment of provinces.
"Normally, each region will have its own law because each region has its own characteristics," he noted.
He expressed optimism that the five provincial bills would be the new legal basis that facilitates effective development in Indonesian regions according to the 1945 Constitution.
Meanwhile, Karnavian stated that the government is convinced that the parliament's initiatives to draft new provincial bills will enhance regional autonomy. Despite the bill deliberation appearing to be in haste, it is needed to ensure legal clarity of provinces in future, he added.
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Translator: Imam Budilaksono, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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