Proposed Term Of Office Of Regional Heads To Be Extended To 2024: Different From What The House Of Representatives Desires

Illustrated / VOI

JAKARTA - The Election Bill (RUU) that revises the rules regarding the implementation of regional elections and general elections is questioned. An option for the term of office of regional heads which expires in 2022 and 2023 to be extended to 2024 has also been proposed.

The House of Representatives, in their proposed Election Bill which they drafted as of November 26 wants the next regional elections to be normalized in 2022 (for the continuation of the 2017 regional elections) and in 2023 (for the continuation of the 2018 regional elections).

The government, through the Director General of Politics and General Government of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bahtiar still wants to carry out the rules in Law Number 1 of 2015 concerning the regional elections which has determined that elections will be held simultaneously in 2024.

"We argue that the regional elections law should be implemented first. There are goals to be achieved for why the regional elections are going to be held simultaneously in 2024. Let us carry out the existing laws in accordance with the mandate of the Law, Law Number 10 2016 Article 201 paragraph 8, the regional elections simultaneously we carry out in 2024", said Bahtiar, some time ago.

This polemic was responded to by the former Director General of Regional Autonomy (Otda) of the Ministry of Home Affairs during the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Djohermansyah Djohan.

Djohan proposed that the central government extend the term of office of regional heads which will expire in 2022 and 2023 if the regional elections are held simultaneously in 2024.

Djohan said, extending the tenure of regional heads by appointing them as regional heads for one to two years could be a solution to the difference in will between the government and the House of Representatives.

"We could use a new format called the extension of the term of office. We can appoint the Regional Head who is currently in office, or extend the term of office to a total of 6 to 7 years until 2024. For example, Mr. Anies Baswedan's tenure getting extended for 2 more years in DKI", Djohan said in a virtual discussion, Thursday, February 4.

In fact, Djohan considered the government to have sufficient resources to elevate the State Civil Apparatus to become regional heads in 272 electoral districts in 2022 and 2023.

However, extending the term of office of regional heads until 2024 is more effective than giving promotions to officials from the government's State Civil Apparatus. Because they already have 'flight hours' as regional leaders. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic cannot yet be controlled and needs serious handling.

"The most important thing, they are legitimate. Because this officials issue lacks of legitimacy because they were appointed by the leader", said the IPDN Professor.

Moreover, there are concerns in public that the government will appoint those who give them advantages for their positions during the simultaneous regional elections in 2024.

"Indeed, there are suspicions that the Officials are appointed, the election will be held in 2024, which of course will be the ruling regime in 2022 and 2023, they could recruit the people who will bring advantages to them during the election period", he said.

It is known that regional heads whose term of office will expire in 2022 include the Governor of DKI, Aceh, Bangka Belitung, Banten, Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, West Papua, and a number of mayors/regents.

Meanwhile, regional heads whose term of office will expire in 2023 are West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Bali, and so on.