The Ministry Of Home Affairs Denies That The Acting Replacement For Regional Heads Who Has Expired His Term Of Office Has Limited Authority

Pilkada Illustration (VOI)

JAKARTA - The government wants to postpone the 2022 and 2023 regional elections to be held simultaneously in 2024. Automatically, there will be many regions with vacant positions as definitive regional heads.

Many are concerned that the appointment of the acting (Pj) who replaces the regional head whose term of office expires in 2022 and 2023 has limited powers.

However, this was denied by the Director General for Regional Autonomy of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Akmal Malik. Akmal said, the Acting regional head does not have limited authority in leading the province or district / city.

"Some parties consider the regions led by the Acting to be ineffective in governance because they have limited authority. But, we want to say that the Acting has full authority," said Akmal at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Wednesday, February 17.

Akmal said the Pj's authority was stated in Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning Pilkada. Acting is appointed when the regional head and deputy regional head are no longer in office.

"If the governor and deputy are not there, the regent and deputy regent are not there, or the mayor and deputy mayor are not there, then the Acting Mayor will attend. This is his full authority," said Akmal.

Akmal said that the Acting is different from the Temporary Acting (Pjs) or the Daily Executor (Plh) which have limited authority.

Acting was appointed because the regional head was on leave outside the state's responsibility. Meanwhile, Plh is an official who replaces the leadership when the regional head is on duty outside his area.

"For Acting and Plh their authority is limited. So, they cannot be equated. I apologize for the tendency for us to use almost the same terminology for different conditions. So, please do not be confused," he explained.

For information, one of the parties who rejects Pj is PKS. Chairman of the DKI Jakarta PKS Regional Management Board (DPW) Khoirudin rejected the DKI Jakarta Pilkada to be held in 2024.

It is known that the term of office of DKI Governor Anies Baswedan will expire in 2022. To fill the vacancy, the Capital City is led by an Acting for two years before the 2024 Pilkada.

"PKS, both in the DPR and DPRD, will continue to encourage and fight for the 2022 Pilkada to be held, considering that the pause from 2022 to 2024 is too long for the Acting (Pj) of the Ministry of Home Affairs," said Khoirudin.

According to Khoirudin, the vacant position of definitive governor for two years is almost half of the Regional Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMD).

In fact, DKI needs leaders who carry out the implementation of development programs in the regions according to the RPJMD. Meanwhile, according to him, the Acting cannot make strategic policies.

"Jakarta is still facing big challenges in regional development, there are still problems in city development and community welfare that need to be resolved, and this requires permanent, not temporary leadership," he said.