Emphasizing The Netrality Of Village Heads In The Face Of The 2024 Pilkada, Bawaslu Coordinates With The Ministry Of Home Affairs

Chairman of Bawaslu Rahmat Bagja (right) while attending the examination hearing for alleged violations of the election organizer's code of ethics in the Main Session Room of the DKPP, Jakarta, Monday 23 October 2023. (ANTARA-Cahya Sari)

Chairman of the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) Rahmat Bagja said his agency was coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) to anticipate the neutrality of village heads (kades) during the 2024 Pilkada stage.

"Later we will chat with Pak Suhajar (Expert Minister of Home Affairs Suhajar Diantoro) regarding the village head who is now being mobilized for the benefit of certain candidates, certain regional head candidates," said Bagja in the Ancol area, North Jakarta, Tuesday, September 17, which was confiscated by Antara.

In addition, Bagja also said that the neutrality of village heads is not only the latest homework for Bawaslu and the Ministry of Home Affairs, but also the Ministry of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB), as well as the State Civil Service Agency.

"And we and the Minister of PANRB will certainly coordinate on the latest issues regarding the neutrality of the village head," he said.

According to him, the neutrality of the village head is the latest homework for Bawaslu and related parties. This is because the village head does not include the state civil apparatus, but is prohibited from campaigning.

Moreover, village heads are allowed to join political parties, so it is feared that it will become a problem in the future.

"Even though they can become members of political parties, they cannot campaign, the ban is very clear. Village heads are prohibited from campaigning for regional head candidates who will fight in the regional head elections later," he said.

Based on the schedule for the 2024 Pilkada stage, the determination of the candidate pair will be held on September 22, 2024. Furthermore, from September 25 to November 23, 2024, the candidate pairs are scheduled to campaign.

Then on November 27, 2024, it became the voting day for the 2024 Pilkada, and continued with the counting and recapitulation of vote count until December 16, 2024.