The Government Affirms The Regional Elections Will Be Held In 2024

Illustrations (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - State Secretary Minister (Mensesneg) Pratikno denied that the government wants to hold the regional head elections (pilkada) simultaneously in 2024 was due to certain interests.

This is related to the government's attitude in rejecting the revision of the Election Law (RUU Pemilu) proposed by the House of Representatives (DPR RI). in the Election Bill, the election schedule is normalized. The 2017 regional elections will be continued in 2022, the 2018 ones will be continued in 2023.

Pratikno said Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning the regional elections has regulated the provisions for the regional elections to be held simultaneously in November 2024.

"So the simultaneous regional elections in November 2024 has been stipulated in Law Number 10 of 2016. How come we change the law that has not been implemented?", Pratikno said on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel, Tuesday, February 16.

Moreover, said Pratikno, the regional elections Law had been mutually agreed upon by the House of Representatives and the President. Therefore, the government does not want to change laws that have been passed but not yet implemented.

"Please do not twist the fact as if the government wants to change the law. The government does not want to change the laws that have been established but we have not implemented them, which related to the simultaneous regional elections", he explained.

"Even if there is a shortage of small things in implementation, it will be fixed the General Election Commission (KPU) through their regulations", he continued.

For information, on November 26, 2020, the Indonesian Parliament drafted the proposed Election Law (RUU Pemilu). This bill, if passed, will revise the existing electoral laws.

One of the provisions contained in the Election Bill is to normalize the regional elections schedule. From the 2017 elections to 2022 and the 2018 ones to 2023. This bill revises the provisions of Law Number 10 of 2016 which stipulates that the next regional elections be held simultaneously in 2024.

Initially, only the PDIP faction noted that they actually wanted the regional elections to be held in 2024.

Then, it was reported that President Joko Widodo held discussions with political party leaders, one of which discussed the implementation of regional elections. Until finally, Commission II of the House of Representatives said it would cancel the discussion of the Election Bill.