Reading The Impact Of Postponing The 2020 Pilkada Due To COVID-19

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Home Affairs, DPR RI, KPU, Bawaslu, and DKPP have agreed that the 2020 simultaneous regional head elections (Pilkada) will be postponed.

The democratic party in 270 regions will be canceled on 23 September. This is because the government must prioritize handling the corona virus pandemic or COVID-19.

The Special Staff of the Minister of Home Affairs, Kastorius Sinaga, stated that all parties understand the current conditions and do not allow the KPU to carry out the stages of the Pilkada.

"Especially regarding the technical stages of the regional head elections, such as checking voter data, campaigns and voting, it is certain that they will collide with the COVID-19 prevention protocol regarding physical distancing and other social restrictions," Kastorius told reporters, Tuesday, March 31.

Kastorius said Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian ordered his staff to immediately coordinate with relevant ministries, especially with the State Secretariat, to begin drafting the 2020 Pilkada Perppu as an amendment to Law 10/2016 which regulates the 2020 Pilkada.

Regarding the schedule for the continuation of the Pilkada, this really depends on the conditions of the development of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. The government and the DPR are still looking at the next situation. When COVID-19 subsides, they will return to the meeting to discuss the schedule for the continuation of the 2020 Pilkada.

The General Election Commission (KPU) has three choices of dates that can be used as voting days. The first option is on 9 December 2020 with a delay period of 3 months. The second option 17 March 2021 with a delay of 6 months. The third option is 29 September 2021 with a delay of 1 year.

KPU chairman Arief Budiman said that the postponement of the voting period was not too burdensome for the KPU's work. This is because the stages that have been carried out are not just canceled. Just postponed.

However, of course there are consequences from the postponement of the simultaneous regional elections in the 9 provinces, 224 districts and 37 cities. The delay will affect the budget that has been disbursed and the condition of the human resources (HR) of the organizers.

"There is a consequence of the budget and human resources. What has been done (the funds) is used up, the budget has already been used. If HR, something could happen one day, it could die. So we have to replace it again. What is there next year, It's not necessarily there, "said Arief when confirmed.

When the local election is postponed, it will also affect the tenure of regional leadership, because this position may be vacant. Chairman of Commission II of the DPR RI, Ahmad Doli Kurnia, warned of the impact.

The status of the leader of a region participating in the pilkada will end in February 2021. Therefore, the government must prepare an option for executing the task (plt) or, instead, extending the term of office of the regional head, while waiting for the inauguration of the new regional head.

"The status of plt is indeed debated. We know, so far, the consideration is political, to remove the person who is currently in office and then replace it with Acting. Some have suggested (the government) try to study the rules, whether it is extended (term of office)," said Doli.

In addition, changes to voting dates also have an impact on the voter list. In the statutory regulations, a person who is 17 years old on voting day has the right to use his / her vote.

When voting day is postponed and resumed in the next few months, automatically many citizens are included in the voter list criteria because of their increasing age during the postponement period. Doli asked KPU to also anticipate this matter.

"If, for example, it is postponed for a year, I think there must be a change in the voter data. We don't know how many will turn 17 years old. That's a technical consequence that needs to be anticipated, especially by the KPU," said Doli.

The impact of the postponement of the pilkada also affects candidates for regional heads and supporting political parties, as well as prospective independent candidates. Political observer from UIN Jakarta Adi Prayitno considers that the pilkada participants have not yet received the impact of the 2020 Pilkada postponement. Adi sees this delay as an advantage for prospective pilkada participants.

"There has been no impact on candidates and political parties. Because so far it is still in the exploration stage of a coalition to register with the KPU. There is no significant political cost (expenditure) to be incurred," Adi told VOI.

"In fact, this delay is beneficial for political parties and contestants. Because, they get a lot of additional time to socialize their candidates," he added.