Government Wants Election 15 May 2024, KPU Proposes Pilkada Postponed To February 2025

DOK VOI

JAKARTA - The General Elections Commission (KPU) has opened its vote on the government's proposal for the general election to be held on May 15, 2024. KPU commissioner, Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi, said that the 2024 election could be held at that time.

However, Pramono explained that there will be consequences if the 2024 General Election is held on May 15. If the election is postponed from the KPU's initial proposal on February 21, the consequence is that the regional election will also be postponed to February 19, 2025.

"The KPU proposes two options, namely the first option on the D day of the 21 February 2024 General Election and the 27 November 2024 Regional Head Election, and the second option, namely the 15 May 2024 General Election and February 19, 2025, Regional Head Election. In connection with this second option, there is a consequence of the need for a new legal basis, because it postpones the election schedule that has been determined by the Pilkada Law (November 2024) to February 2025", Pramono told reporters, Thursday, October 7.

Pramono admitted that his party did not set the election to be held on February 21 or May 15, 2024. What is clear, the KPU considers the adequacy of the time for each stage.

"For the KPU, what is important is the adequacy of time for each stage, so that the process of nominating the regional head election is not hampered by the dispute process in the Constitutional Court that has not been completed", explained Pramono.

"Secondly, there is no too thick slice of the stage between the general election and the regional head election, so that it can technically be implemented, and does not cause too heavy a burden for our ranks below", he added.

Pramono also mentioned the postponement of the election determination meeting at the House of Representatives building, Wednesday, October 6, because the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, was summoned by President Jokowi.

According to him, the postponement of the meeting will not have much of an impact on the tightness of the election preparations. This is because the KPU has submitted a new proposal that the general election stage begins 20 months before the D day.

"Initially, the KPU proposed that the stages start 25 months before the D-Day. The KPU fully understood the condition of the government and the public who were focusing on dealing with the pandemic, as well as to implement budget efficiency as voiced by many parties", said Pramono.

With the shorter election stages, said Pramono, the new stage of the election with the agenda of registering political parties will begin no later than mid-2022 if the voting is carried out on February 21, 2024, or the end of 2022 if the voting takes place in May 2024.

"Meanwhile, the KPU will continue to carry out various preparations, as we have done so far, both related to the redesign of ballot papers, electronic recapitulation, electronic registration and verification of political parties, continuous updating of voter lists, and so on", he added.