THE strident demand for regional partitions (pemekaran daerah) ended tragically in North Sumatra province. Abdul Aziz Angkat, Provincial House of Representatives (DPRD) Speaker, died when protestors calling for the establishment of Tapanuli province ran amok. The violence has led many people to ask the question: how beneficial is the partition of regions?

Dean of the University of Indonesia's Economics Faculty, Prof. Dr. Bambang Brodjonegoro, is on