Marak OTT Regional Head, Tito Karnavian and KPK Safari to 10 Regions

Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian together with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will hold a safari to 10 regions in Indonesia as a step to prevent corruption following the rampant hand-in-hand operation (OTT) against a number of regional heads.

Tito said the activity would begin next week with the aim of inventorying various problems faced by regional heads as well as providing training to avoid corruption practices.

"Now with the OTT-OTT KPK, I have cooperated with the KPK and I have met them. We will go around 10 points, starting next week 10 points," Tito told reporters at the DPR/MPR Complex, Jakarta, Thursday, July 30.

According to Tito, the activity will involve the leadership of the KPK, KPK deputies, and the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs who will take turns visiting the area for two days at each point.

During the meeting, the government will map the problems faced by regional heads while providing technical explanations regarding clean government governance.

"This is in order to prevent irregularities by regional heads," he said.

Tito admitted that he was concerned that there were still many regional heads who were entangled in OTT. However, he emphasized that the Ministry of Home Affairs did not have the authority to replace regional heads because they were directly elected by the people through regional head elections.

"The recruitment of regional heads is through the election. It's different if I was the National Police Chief. That's the regional police chief, the police chief I nominate, in the morning I nominate, the next day I can replace. The election can't be because it's chosen by the people," he said.

He added that the prevalence of OTT against regional heads had also been reported to President Prabowo Subianto. According to Tito, the government is looking for a formula to strengthen the capacity of regional heads, both before and after taking office.

"Yesterday, at the time of the IPDN, I also conveyed it. This includes discussing how to strengthen the ability of regional heads before they take office and when they are elected because their backgrounds are different, not all understand bureaucracy," he said.

Tito gave an example of regional heads who come from the ranks of artists and entrepreneurs who have the potential to face obstacles in understanding the bureaucratic mechanism so that they are more vulnerable to being used by their subordinates if they do not have adequate understanding.

"This is what needs to be technical and very technical. If he understands the general thing, he may be honored by his subordinates," he concluded.