Jokowi Holds A Meeting To Discuss The Acceleration Of The 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Election Schedule

Illustration of President Jokowi accompanied by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin held a limited meeting with related ministers at the Jakarta Palace. (Between-Hafidz Mubarak)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo held a limited meeting (ratas) at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, October 4. The meeting is to discuss changes to the schedule for the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada. "The issue of the Pilkada (2024) is just an acceleration plan," said Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD after following the meeting at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, October 4, which was confiscated by Antara. Mahfud said the form of legal umbrella to advance the schedule for the 2024 Pilkada is still under discussion. Meanwhile, the Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo) Budi Arie Setiadi, was met separately after following the meeting, saying that the acceleration of the schedule for the 2024 Pilkada will be regulated through a limited revision of the regional election law. "It will be discussed by the DPR on the legislative initiative, because this is a shared interest in this regional election, right. The law alone, the revision is limited," said Budi Arie. According to Budi, the acceleration of the schedule for the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada is not regulated through government regulations in lieu of laws (perpu) so as not to cause alleged conflicts of interest. "Don't (go through) a perpu, please. If it's perpu, think that the President (Jokowi) has an interest. The acceleration (of the 2024 Pilkada schedule) is of common interest," explained Budi Arie. The plan to accelerate the schedule for the 2024 Pilkada is carried out to prevent the vacancy of regional head positions on January 1, 2025. In addition, if the 2024 Pilkada is still held according to schedule on November 27, then the elected president of the 2024 presidential election which was inaugurated in October only has a limited time to determine and inaugurate a new minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri). The new Minister of Home Affairs must also work directly to take care of the simultaneous regional elections. "The new Minister of Home Affairs, for example November 20 (2024) he was inaugurated, the period (only) a week he took care of (the Simultaneous 2024 Regional Head Election)," said Budi Arie.

He said the Government would propose a change in the schedule for the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada to September. The proposal will be discussed together with the Legislative Body of the DPR. Budi assessed that the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada should be held in the era of the administration of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin. "The current government should (be held)," he said. Apart from Mahfud MD and Budi Arie, also present at the meeting were Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani, and Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights (Wamenkumham) Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej.