Ministry Of Home Affairs Does Not Give Any Comment Regarding The Rejected Election Bill

JAKARTA - Director General of Regional Autonomy of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Akmal Malik emphasized that the government does not want to revise Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning the regional elections (Pilkada).

Akmal did not want to respond to the emergence of the proposed draft Election Law (RUU) that revised the Pilkada Law and the previous Election Law. Because, said Akmal, the draft issued on November 26 was a proposal from the House of Representatives (DPR).

"Regarding my revision, I will not give any comment. What is clear is that (the proposed Election Bill) is not from the government because it is a proposal from the House of Representatives", said Akmal at the Ministry of Home Affairs Office, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, February 17.

Akmal emphasized that the government still wants to carry out the continuation of the Pilkada held simultaneously in 2024 in accordance with the existing Pilkada Bill. The government rejects the Election Bill which normalizes the Pilkada schedule. In the bill, the 2017 Pilkada will be continued in 2022, the 2018 ones will be continued in 2023.

"We want all of them to be built simultaneously. The regional elections Law has good enthusiasm so that the administrators at the central and regional levels work together. We are determined to implement this law first", said Akmal.

For information, on November 26, 2020, the Indonesian Parliament drafted the proposed Election Law (RUU Pemilu). This bill, if passed, will revise the existing election bill.

One of the provisions contained in the Election Bill is to normalize the Pilkada schedule. From the 2017 Pilkada to 2022 and the 2018 ones to 2023. This bill revises the provisions of Law Number 10 of 2016 which stipulates that the next Pilkada be held simultaneously in 2024.

Initially, only the PDIP faction noted that they actually wanted the regional elections to be held in 2024.

Then, it was reported that President Joko Widodo held discussions with political party leaders, one of which was discussing the implementation of regional elections. Until finally, Commission II of the House of Representatives said they would cancel the discussion of the Election Bill.