Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Despite opposition from former separatists and many other local people, legislators and analysts Thursday praised the passage of the Aceh governance law as a milestone in the effort to bring peace to the formerly rebellious province.

A general strike hit parts of Aceh when the House of Representatives enacted the law in Jakarta on July 11, with opponents charging it was biased in favor of the central government.

The legislation is designed to grant the Acehnese a greater role in politics and in managing the province's natural resources.

"Allowing independent candidates and local political parties to contest local elections opens up room for greater public participation, which will result in sophisticated politicians who are not merely adventurers," said lawmaker Ryaas Rasyid at a forum on implementing the Aceh law. The law carved out new territory in terms of the way the central government and local administrations related to each other, said Ryaas, who is a former director general on autonomy at the Home Ministry.

Political analyst Indra J. Piliang from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said it would trigger other regions, particularly those with rich natural resources, to demand a similar arrangement.

"Bali, whose populace is mainly Hindu and which has a lot of money, will want such a law. Riau will do so for its oil reserves. The next big thing we do could be amending the Constitution on clauses about the relations between the central government and local administrations," he said.

State Minister for Information and Communication Sofyan Djalil agreed the law could serve as a model for other areas of the country. "The law is very well thought out. Good governance is extremely important here," he said.

Sofyan was part of the government's team that negotiated with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland, last year. The negotiations produced a peace accord to end three decades of fighting in Aceh, and paved the way for the new law.

Farhan Hamid, a House member from Aceh who was on the committee that deliberated the bill, said the law had the potential to succeed. He noted that it was drafted by the Aceh council and was produced with the support of all political factions.

The speakers stressed that there were still several clauses that required further elaboration to avoid disputes and multiple interpretations.

Muhammadiyah leader Ahmad Syafii Maarif said the section that allowed the adoption of sharia law should be approached cautiously or reconsidered altogether. He said sharia had the potential to alienate people, instill fear, and divide local communities.

Ryaas noted the absence of a specified rule to determine the winner of a local election. The 2004 law on local elections law states that the winner of an election must get more than 25 percent of the votes, while the 2003 law on presidential elections sets the bar at 50 percent. Farhan said problems with the law would be resolved in ensuing bylaws, presidential decrees and government regulations.

Indra said the government must work to ensure that all elements in Aceh felt invested the law. "There are people in many parts of Aceh that are not GAM strongholds. Will they feel attached to the law or not? In fact, these areas have stated their intention to break free and create new provinces," he said.