Questioning The Fate Of The Regent-Mayor Election In Jakarta After The Capital Moves, Will The Governor Still Be Elected Or Participate In The Regional Head Election?

Anies Baswedan/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - In planning for the relocation of the capital city from Jakarta to East Kalimantan, there is one regulation that must be revised by the government in addition to the regulation regarding the National Capital City (IKN) in the archipelago. The regulation is Law Number 29 of 2007 concerning the Provincial Government of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta as the Capital of the Republic of Indonesia.

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) researcher, Arya Fernandes, highlighted one political mechanism that became a question when Jakarta was no longer the capital city, namely the election of regents and mayors.

"This may be controversial and problematic, namely how about the election of a regent or mayor after Jakarta is no longer the nation's capital," Arya said in a virtual discussion, quoted on Friday, March 25.

Based on Article 9 of Law 27/2007, it is explained that the autonomy of Jakarta as the capital city is at the provincial level. Thus, none of the cities and regencies in DKI Jakarta has the status of an autonomous region.

Therefore, as stated in Article 19 Paragraph (2), regents and mayors in Jakarta have so far been appointed by the Governor of DKI Jakarta on the consideration of the DPRD DKI Jakarta taken from elements of civil servants (PNS) who meet the requirements.

This, Arya continued, is different from mayors or regents in other provinces whose elections are carried out through direct elections by the community in regional head elections (pilkada).

"The mayor or regent in Jakarta is not directly elected. This is different from other autonomous regions in Indonesia, where the level of autonomy is placed at the district or city level," said Arya.

Now, when Jakarta relinquished its capital city status, Arya said the government had to decide whether the mechanism for selecting the mayor and regent was still directly elected by the governor of DKI or would follow the election.

"Is after Jakarta no longer the capital city, the level of autonomy remains in the province or does it need to be lowered to the district-city level? Is this post-IKN, the regent or mayor is still appointed and appointed by the governor or is he elected directly?" Arya said.

"This must be discussed, whether it will be maintained after Jakarta is no longer the nation's capital or it needs to be revised," he continued.