DPR Commission II: Don't Let The Issue Of Village Heads' Term Of Office Is Changed Regarding The 2024 Election

Masses from the Association of Indonesian Village Government Apparatus rallied in front of the DPR building, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday (17/1/2023). (ANTARA PHOTO/Rivan Awal Lingga/rwa)

JAKARTA - DPR Commission II chairman Ahmad Doli Kurnia hopes that the issue of extending the tenure of village heads (kades) from six years to nine years in one period is not linked to political interests ahead of the 2024 elections.

"This is what we have to avoid, that's what I'm also worried about. Don't let the issue of changing terms of office be related to matters of interest ahead of the 2024 elections," Doli said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, January 23.

He also dismissed the discourse that extending the term of office for village heads through the revision of the Village Law could be an entry point for extending the term of office of the president because the legal framework governing the two is different.

"As for the presidency, we are talking about amendments to the 1945 Constitution. So, I don't think that has anything to do with it, stay away," he added.

Doli said that since being inaugurated in 2019, members of Commission II of the DPR have been determined to revise Law Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages (Village Law).

Commission II, he continued, had also included the revision of the Village Law in the DPR RI National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) for the 2019-2024 period.

"We proposed it a long time, the proposed revision of the law. So, why is it urged to enter the election stage, and it is linked to the issue of extension? In my opinion, this must be straightened out," he said.

However, the process of revising the Village Law cannot be carried out immediately because an agreement must first be reached with the government.

"So, actually we are waiting for the government when we will feel it is important to discuss the revision of this law, when we are ready," he said.

Doli explained that the plan to revise the Village Law contains nothing but the ambition to accelerate the progress of village development. For this reason, revisions to the Village Law cannot be seen pragmatically by making improvements to certain articles.

"If we don't revise the law, we can only fix it (term of office for the village head) six to nine (years), it will definitely have an impact. Why? Because we want to make that law, right? not just for the benefit of one, two, three, but for the national interest," he explained.

Commission II will also review all aspects of revising the Village Law using a perspective aimed at developing villages. The extension of the village head's tenure is only one of them, which will also be studied regarding its effectiveness.

"Because like this, whatever articles in one law are interrelated, for example, we change the nine-year term of office for the village head, there will definitely be an impact," said Doli.

Previously, hundreds of village heads from various regions held a demonstration demanding a term extension from six to nine years in front of the DPR RI Building, Jakarta, Tuesday (17/1).