Sultan HB X Reminds Neutral Village Apparatus In The 2024 Election

YOGYAKARTA - Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X reminded all village officials in his area to commit to being neutral in the 2024 General Election.

"The important thing is that all can implement and be consistent in holding our mutual agreement," said the Sultan after the declaration of peace elections in the Kepatihan Ward, Kepatihan complex, Yogyakarta, reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, November 21.

This commitment is a follow-up to the meeting of 7,000 village officials at the Jogja Kembali Monument (Monjali), Sleman, Yogyakarta DI, on October 28, 2023.

At that time, the Sultan had asked village officials to be neutral by not taking sides with one of the pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2024 election to prevent polarization in the community.

"I have declared yes that village officials must be neutral, that's all," he said.

The King of the Yogyakarta Palace said he would consider sanctions when he met village officials in DIY who were proven not to be neutral.

"That's a consequence. We will think about it later, but not now. Later we will threaten, later it will be wrong again," said Ngarsa Dalem, Sultan HB X's nickname.

According to Sultan, all state civil servants (ASN) within the DIY Provincial Government have also signed an integrity pact to be neutral in the 2024 General Election.

"I also dare to take action against my officers. Otherwise (neutral) means inconsistent, all have signed," said Sultan asserted.

Chairman of the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) DIY Mohammad Najib said that as public servants, ASN including village heads or village heads and their apparatus must be neutral.

"Because they are public servants, they must serve everything so they cannot take sides," said Najib.

The neutrality of village officials in dealing with regional head elections, general elections, and presidential elections is regulated in Law (UU) Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages, as well as Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections.

According to Najib, there are consequences that must be borne if the neutrality is violated. "Alhamdulillah, if in Yogyakarta there is no (village set violates)," he said.