Puan: The 2020 Pilkada Is More Important To Strengthen Handling The COVID-19 Pandemic

Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia Puan Maharani (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, said that the implementation of the 2020 simultaneous regional elections is more important to strengthen the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic because during a crisis like this requires certainty from regional leaders.

"Governors and regents / mayors are political leaders in the regional level executive whose presence and strategic decisions are urgently needed in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic," Puan said in his statement in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Tuesday, October 20.

This was said by Puan at the opening of the Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani), in Jakarta, Tuesday.

He said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of the 2020 regional elections had been postponed from the original plan to be held in September, now it has been postponed to 9 December 2020.

According to him, if 270 regional elections continue to be postponed, then the position of regional heads which is very crucial during the crisis will only be occupied by executors who are weak in legitimacy and have limited scope in making decisions, it can actually slow down local government work and cause more uncertainty. .

"In fact, in facing the COVID-19 pandemic, what is needed is speed and certainty that can provide a sense of calm," he said.

Puan said the important thing is that we must jointly monitor and remind that the campaigns carried out during the regional elections follow strict health protocols.

He asked the regional head candidate pairs to make breakthroughs and innovations in campaigning.

"How to reach the people and win their hearts while keeping the people from the threat of COVID-19," he said.

In the 2020 simultaneous regional elections, there were 157 female candidates consisting of 5 people running as candidates in the Governor Election, 127 people running in the Regent Election, and 25 people running in the Mayor Election.

"Of course we are waiting for how the people will vote on December 9, 2020. Whether the women candidates will be trusted by the people to occupy the highest positions as regional executives," he said.

He said that if we believe that politics needs women, then the participation of Indonesian women in politics, in addition to representation, must also include substance.