Conducting Evaluation, Ministry Of Home Affairs Says There Are 47 Regencies/Cities Postponing The Implementation Of Village Head Elections

The Ministry of Home Affairs holds a meeting to monitor the implementation of the 2022 regional head elections simultaneously. (ANTARA/HO-Kemendagri)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) is evaluating the implementation of the 2021 Simultaneous Village Head Elections (Pilkades), as well as preparing various things to welcome the 2022 Pilkades.

The Director General (Dirjen) of Pemdes Pemdes at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Yusharto Huntoyungo, conveyed the latest conditions regarding areas that have held Pilkades or those that have not.

As for several regions that have not yet carried out the Pilkades, he said, this was due to a number of factors, one of which was the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 191 regencies/cities have carried out the Pilkades with details of 12,612 villages in 2,309 sub-districts with 21,453,486 permanent voter lists (DPT), 54,215 polling stations (TPS), and 37,089 candidates for village heads.

"Meanwhile, there are 47 regencies/cities that have postponed the Pilkades due to several reasons, including the level of the pandemic zone," he said in a statement received in Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, February 3.

Yusharto appreciated the regions that had carried out the Pilkades. He hopes that the elected village heads can carry out their duties well.

"We really appreciate the regencies/cities that have carried out the Pilkades. We hope that we will get village heads who are trustworthy in carrying out their duties. Next, 153 regencies/cities will develop plans for the 2022 Pilkades," he said.

According to him, the process of implementing the Pilkades so far is not only monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs but also other ministries/institutions. The various agencies include the National Police, the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Kemendes PDTT), the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), and other institutions.

The involvement of various parties, he continued, was mainly to monitor the enforcement of health protocols during the Pilkades.

At the forum, Aferi Village Government Arrangement and Administration Director, Syamsidar Fudail, explained that the implementation of the village head election was successful and smooth. Pilkades will be held while still implementing health protocols.

"(Even the stages) of the campaign are carried out with material regarding the handling of COVID-19 and the socio-economic impact in the village," Aferi said.