Gerindra Supports DPRD Election: We Must Dare to Change the System

Chairman of the DPP Gerindra Party Prasetyo Hadi/ANTARA/Maria Cicilia Galuh

JAKARTA - Chairman of the DPP Gerindra Party Prasetyo Hadi considers his party's move to support the proposal for regional heads to be elected through the DPRD can be a bold step to change the system and mechanism of the election that has been running.

Pras, his nickname, explained that he who was also a legislator in Commission II of the DPR had studied the democratic process in the country, including the gubernatorial election which was considered to have negative aspects, such as the high cost of politics.

"We as party managers, one of the leaders in the party, we think that we must be brave. We must be brave to make changes to the system, when we find that the system we are running now has many negative aspects," said Pras as reported by ANTARA, Monday, December 29.

Although in his assessment there are shortcomings, Pras argues that expensive political costs are an obstacle for candidates for regional heads, both regents, mayors, to governors to fight in the democracy party.

In addition, the state's expenditure to hold municipal/district-level, to provincial elections is also quite large.

Pras explained that President Prabowo Subianto as the General Chair of the Gerindra Party had long discussed the proposal for the election of regional heads from the DPRD.

"If the study in our Gerindra party is internal, we are frankly one of those who propose or argue that we want to restore the system of electing regional heads through the mechanism in the DPRD," said Pras.

Based on official information, the Gerindra Party supports the proposal for regional heads at the governor level to the regent/mayor to be elected by the Regional Representative Council (DPRD) in each region.

Secretary General of the DPP of the Gerindra Party, Sugiono, explained that the Gerindra Party sees the election of regional heads through the DPRD as being more efficient than what has been implemented so far.

According to him, the election of regional heads through the DPRD can be more efficient starting from the process or time of screening candidates, mechanisms, budgets and political costs until the election is carried out.

In 2015, said Sugiono, the grant funds from the Regional Budget for the implementation of the election were almost Rp7 trillion. The nominal continued to increase in a not insignificant amount, until in 2024, the grant funds from the Regional Budget for the implementation of the election were more than Rp37 trillion.

"That is a number that can be used for other things that are more productive, efforts to improve the welfare and economy of the people. I think this is something we need to consider," he said.

Likewise with political costs.