Regional Expansion: Elite Solution or Somasi of Curciology

JAKARTA - Regional expansion is always packaged with sweet language: acceleration of development, equalization of services, and the presence of a closer state. However, in practice, expansion often takes the form of a political project that goes beyond the limits of legal rationality and fiscal capacity. At this point, the public should ask: is this expansion born out of the objective needs of society, or just the will of the elite?

In fact, normatively, the expansion of territory is not a free interpretation space. The legislation has set strict requirements. Law Number 23 of 2014 concerning Regional Government stipulates that the formation of a new autonomous region must meet the criteria of economic ability, regional potential, administrative readiness, institutional capacity, and the goal of improving people's welfare. This means that expansion is not an emotional aspiration, but a policy decision based on ability.

The problem is, in the reality of local politics, legal requirements are often treated as administrative formalities - documents are filled out, recommendations are pursued, but the substance is ignored. The expansion then shifted from a development instrument to an arena of job distribution. This is what can be called political cursiology: when the orientation of policy is no longer the Human Development Index (HDI), but the seat of power.

As a result, the newly born autonomous regions are in a fragile fiscal condition. The Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) is not enough to support basic services, while dependence on central transfers becomes permanent. Ironically, what is growing rapidly is not the quality of education or health, but bureaucratic spending - new offices, new structures, and new elites.

Objective indicators such as the GINI Ratio actually show inequality that has not narrowed. Expansion does not automatically create social justice. In many areas, it only breaks down administrative areas, not poverty. The state seems to be present structurally, but absent substantively.

The context of Papua shows this dilemma clearly. The expansion of provinces is often claimed as the answer to the vast territory and isolation. However, without serious compliance with the requirements of the law, especially fiscal capacity and human resource readiness - the expansion is at risk of increasing social burdens. The question is simple but fundamental: is this expansion for the Papuan people, or for the Papuan elite?

The merger that does not meet the legal requirements is actually not only a matter of wrong policy, but a violation of constitutional ethics. The state must not legalize incompetence under the pretext of aspirations. If the conditions are not met, the political courage needed is not to approve the merger, but to reject it.

Therefore, territorial expansion must be returned to its essence: a development instrument that is subject to the law, not a political compromise tool. As long as the will of the elite is more dominant than compliance with laws and regulations, expansion will only produce administrative areas without welfare, provinces without independence, and autonomy without justice.

The state is tested not by how much territory is expanded, but by the courage to enforce legal requirements to protect the public from repeated structural suffering.

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The author is Prof. Idrus Al-Hamid, Secretary of the Papua Development Acceleration Team (TP3C)