JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) issued a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) Number 2 of 2020 concerning the Election of Governors, Regents and Mayors or the election of regional heads (Pilkada).
This Perppu regulates the postponement of the 2020 Pilkada which was previously held from September to December due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even the delay can be longer depending on the pandemic situation.
"This Perppu will serve as the legal umbrella for the postponement and implementation of the 2020 Pilkada," said Head of the Information Center of the Ministry of Home Affairs Bahtiar in Jakarta, Tuesday, May 5.
This regulation was signed by Jokowi on Monday, May 4, 2020 and officially promulgated. The Perppu revises Article 120, Article 122, Article 123, Article 201, and Article 202 of the Election Law.
This postponement can be done because there are regulations stating that if the electoral area occurs in riots, security disturbances, natural disasters, non-natural disasters, or other disturbances, then further elections will be held.
In this case, the disruption of the 2020 Pilkada is the COVID-19 outbreak. Until now, the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing and has not shown a decrease in the trend of cases. If the 2020 Pilkada stages are still carried out according to schedule, it is feared that the transmission of the corona virus will increasingly spread.
Even so, Bahtiar admitted there was a possibility that the 2020 Pilkada could be postponed again. "The worst case scenario, if COVID-19 has not been completed, then it is possible to postpone it again based on the joint agreement of the KPU, DPR and Government," he said.
Responding to this, KPU Commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi admitted that he would immediately follow up by finalizing the draft revision of KPU regulations regarding stages, programs and schedules that had been prepared so far.
"Of course, the KPU will continue to coordinate with related agencies, both BNPB and the Ministry of Health, regarding the certainty of the completion of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the KPU will be certain whether the 2020 Pilkada voting can be held in December this year, or it should take longer. , "said Pramono.
Perppu is assessed as halfhearted
Meanwhile, Executive Director of Perludem, Titi Anggraini, stated that Perppu 2/2020 is the answer to the confusion of the General Election Commission (KPU) in carrying out the 2020 Pilkada stages amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Titi assessed that Perppu 2/2020 still has an uncertain situation. Because, if the regional elections cannot be held in December 2020 because COVID-19 has not yet subsided, then voting is rescheduled as soon as the nonalam disaster ends.
Instead of choosing a more adequate time, for example postponing 2021, the Government has instead submitted its scheme to further discussions between the KPU, the government and the DPR.
"Perppu 2/2020 is still half-hearted in providing legal certainty in the sustainability of the pilkada stages. In addition, it also opens the risk of transmission if the KPU is unable to prepare election techniques that are compatible with the COVID-19 handling protocol," said Titi to VOI.
Furthermore, if you look at the projected stages of voting in December 2020, it means that the KPU has to continue the stages since next June. In fact, the emergency response period for COVID-19 does not necessarily end that month.
"Thus, the KPU must be able to formulate various technical election regulations that do not conflict with the Covid-19 handling protocol, especially regarding the interaction of officers with voters and election participants," he explained.
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