Regional Elections Separated, Opportunities For Regional Leaders Are Getting Bigger

Illustration of regional elections that further provide space for local figures after being separated from national elections. (Special)

JAKARTA The executive director of the Regional Autonomy Implementation Monitoring Committee (KPPOD), Herman N Suparman, assessed that the Constitutional Court Decision Number 135 / PUU-XXII / 2024 which separates national and regional elections will provide adequate space for regional figures to compete in local political content.

As is known, through its decision, the Constitutional Court stipulates that regional or local elections be held after a national election of at least 2 years or a maximum of 2.5 years. National elections include presidential and vice presidential elections, DPR elections, and DPD elections, while local elections include the election of governors, regents, mayors, and members of the DPRD.

According to Herman, simultaneous elections, as held in 2024, have left local elections out. The public tends to spend more energy to focus on observing candidates in national elections. Therefore, the separation of elections should be able to provide opportunities for regional head candidates to prepare themselves to sell ideas and ideas that are more in line with regional needs.

Even though it is a bit difficult to expect political parties to have the intention of encouraging talents in the regions. Because, all regional head candidates are determined in the party kitchen, which of course often do not see the needs in the regions," he said, Sunday, July 6, 2025.

He stated, with the pause between national and local elections that is quite long, regional head candidates will find it easier to design a Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) program that is in accordance with regional needs and does not collide with central government programs.

He assumed that the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) had been prepared by the president and vice president who were elected during the election. "So, the vision and mission of regional head candidates is also easy to adjust because there is already an RPJMN consisting of presidential and vice presidential candidates," added Herman.

He emphasized that support for opening up fighting spaces for qualified regional figures could be done if the DPR also made it easier for independent candidates to compete. Because currently, the requirements for nominating independent candidates are still relatively heavy, including from a financial perspective.