Ministry Of Home Affairs Rejects Election Bill, Wants Pilkada To Be Held Simultaneously In 2024

ILLUSTRA TION / VOI

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) stated that the government wants the next regional head election (pilkada) to be held simultaneously in 2024.

The Director General of Politics and General Government of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bahtiar said this was in accordance with Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning the Election of the Governor / Deputy Governor, the Regent / Deputy Regent, the Mayor / Deputy Mayor as an amendment to Law Number 1 of 2015 (Pilkada Law).

In the Pilkada Law, the national simultaneous elections which were originally held in 2022 and 2023 were changed to 2024. These changes were not without basis, but had been adapted for juridical, philosophical, and sociological reasons.

"We are of the opinion that this law should be implemented first, of course there are philosophical reasons, there are juridical reasons, there are sociological reasons, and there are goals to be achieved as to why the Pilkada will be held together in 2024," said Bahtiar when met at the KPU RI Office, Jakarta. Center, Friday, January 29th.

Thus, the Ministry of Home Affairs rejects the contents of the draft Election Law (RUU) which states that the implementation of regional head elections (pilkada) is normalized.

In the draft Election Bill proposed by the DPR as of November 26, it is stated that the continuation of the 2017 Concurrent Pilkada will be held in 2022 and the 2018 Pilkada will be continued in 2023.

"So, our position on the discourse is that let's run the existing laws in accordance with the mandate of the law, Law Number 10 of 2016 article 201 paragraph 8, we will carry out simultaneous regional elections in 2024," said Bahtiar.

Moreover, said Bahtiar, the current government's focus is to face the COVID-19 pandemic, to overcome various problems from the health aspect to the socio-economic impacts caused by the pandemic.

"Today our main focus is how to quickly solve the COVID-19 pandemic problem, thank God there is now a vaccine, our priority now is to save our people and citizens, so of course there are priorities that we must do," he added.