Democrats Call The Discourse On Appointing The Governor By The President In The DKJ Bill Strengthening Oligarchy Interests

Election illustration (Photo: Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The Democratic Party (PD) rejected the discourse on appointing the Governor and Deputy Governor of Jakarta to be carried out by the president taking into account the DPRD's proposal, as stated in the Draft Law (RUU) for the Special Region of Jakarta (DKJ). Deputy for Bappilu, DPP PD Kamhar Lakumani, said that the discourse that led to the elimination of the regional elections contained the interests of the oligarchy. According to him, the discourse related to the DKJ Bill must be presented to the public so that there is democratic control in the process. "From several issues that have developed, such as the elimination of regional elections, it is clear that this is full of political interests to serve the oligarchy," Kamhar told reporters, Thursday, December 7. Kamhar assessed that the abolition of the Jakarta Pilkada was a setback for democracy and betrayal of the mandate of reform. And contrary to the constitutional mandate. "The spirit of constitutional amendments in relations between the center and the regions is decentralization, while returning regional head appointments by the president is recentralization," explained Kamhar. "This is back as in the New Order era, a centralistic authoritarian regime that has been corrected and brought down by the Reform." According to Kamhar, democracy requires and is marked by the position of public leadership. Like regional heads, whose political positions are filled through elections, are not filled through the appointment (selected). "(With elections) the political rights of citizens are heeded and facilitated in determining and choosing leaders," he said.

Kamhar also highlighted the assumption that the appointment of governors through elections was draining the budget. According to him, this view is irrelevant to the democratic era. "The idea that the election only spends the budget and political positions does not need to go through elections because spending the budget is a thought that can be categorized as primitive," he said.