JAKARTA - The 15th Speaker of the House of Representatives, Marzuki Alie, assessed that the direct election of regional heads contained serious problems, ranging from expensive political costs to its impact on governance. He proposed that Indonesia reconsider the election of regional heads through the DPRD.
Marzuki Alie, who is currently serving as Rector of Indo Global Mandiri University, said that the debate about direct elections was often simplified as if it was identical to democracy, while elections through the DPRD were considered a setback. In fact, according to him, the constitution does not require regional heads to be directly elected by the people.
"Both directly elected and through the DPRD are both constitutional. It is the choice of the law-making policy," said Marzuki Alie in his statement in Jakarta, Sunday (4/1/2026).
He emphasized that the main issue of the election was not about being legal or illegal, but the effectiveness and the amount of political costs. Marzuki assessed that direct elections had given birth to many parties that benefited, such as political consultants, survey institutions, and political parties through the practice of nomination fees.
According to him, political dowry in the region can reach hundreds of millions to billions of rupiah per DPRD seat. The burden of the cost, said Marzuki, often encourages regional heads to seek a return on investment when in power, which leads to corrupt practices.
He also highlighted the role of election organizers, the prevalence of gubernatorial disputes in the Constitutional Court, and the low quality of voter choices due to poverty and education factors.
"With such political costs, it is difficult to expect regional heads to work without the pressure of reciprocation," he said.
Marzuki assessed that the election through the DPRD could be an alternative. Although money politics still have the potential to occur, the number of actors involved is less so that supervision is considered easier. In addition, political alignment between the center and the regions is considered to facilitate governance.
"Considering the election through the DPRD does not mean anti-democracy. It can be a realistic step, while the state is serious about improving education and the welfare of the people," said Marzuki Alie.
He emphasized that when the quality of the community is better, direct elections can be reapplied with a healthier democracy.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
