PDIP 'Play' The Issue Of 9 Years Of Village Head Position Ahead Of The Election, Ready To Encourage Village Law Revision According To Village Head's Wish

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JAKARTA - Having drowned, now the discourse on extending the term of office of the village head (kades) to 9 years has re-emerged on the surface. The demands that were launched by the village head with the DPR were responded positively to by the PDI-P openly.

Ikhwal, the push for the extension of the village head's term from 6 years to 9 years, is included in the recommendation of the PDIP National Working Meeting III.

"The PDI-P encourages the stability and sustainability of the village government by seeking to change the term of office of the village head from six years for three terms to nine years for two terms," said the recommendation read by PDIP DPP Chair Puan Maharani at the PDIP DPP Party School, Lenteng Agung, Jakarta, Thursday, June 8.

PDIP meminta UU Nomor 6 Tahun 2014 tentang Desa diubah. "Rakernas III Partai mendorong desa sebagai pusat kemajuan untuk mewujudkan desa kuat Indonesia berdateran," tegas Ketua DPR itu.

Regarding the demands through the village head demonstration in mid-January 2023, many parties previously warned of the dangers of extending their term of office if political interests were mixed.

"Actually, I also read that if this proposal is approved, if it becomes 9 years then this will be a tool of power to secure the 2024 simultaneous elections. This can be read," said LHKP Political Observer PP Muhammadiyah Ridho Al-hamdi in a statement, Friday, January 27.

Ridho said the extension of the village head's term of office to nine years was too long and had the potential to open up gaps in crime and systematic fraud.

In addition, this demand seems to contain political interests rather than the interests of the wider community.

Ridho encouraged the DPR to prioritize the interests of the wider community rather than practical politics. This is done by rejecting the proposal to extend the term of office of the village head which can reach 27 years.

He emphasized that there is no need for a change in the term of office of the village head in the Village Law because it is not in accordance with democratic principles.

Meanwhile, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin once said that the term of office of the village head (kades) must consider the benefits for village development.

"For the village head, it's the right one, whether you want to be equated with the president, governor and regent, or how it will be that later there will be a government and the DPR to discuss the right one and the benefit, which is good so that the village can be built into a developed village later," he said.

Regarding the proposed additional term of office of the village head, the vice president said that the proposal must be considered whether to bring in benefits (malahat) or not.

"Later, we will think about whether it is rational or not, whether it is not, what is clear is that the president, governor, mayor have time, 5 years, so the two periods are 10 years, so there are limits," said the vice president.