HOPES ON SECOND SIMULTANEOUS REGIONAL HEAD ELECTIONS by Fardah

Jakarta, June 18, 2016 (Antara) - Following the success of Indonesia's first simultaneous and direct regional head elections (Pilkada) last year, the nation is hoping to hold a smooth and peaceful second Pilkada set for February 15, 2017.

        Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation after China, India and the United States, has so far demonstrated mature democratic values with the country holding its first direct general election in 2004 that was conducted peacefully and smoothly.

        Several people were initially worried that the first Pilkada which took place on December 9, 2015, would be chaotic and prone to conflicts as the elections involved hundreds of candidates in so many regions. However, it turned out to be well managed.

        The House of Representatives (DPR) on June 2, 2106, passed the revision of the 2015 Regional Elections (Pilkada) Law into law despite the rejection of two political party factions over an article on the mandatory resignation of legislators who want to run for regional head positions.

         Besides, there are also two other main concerns regarding the revised law, namely the minimum amount of support required for independent candidates and requirement that the general elections must consult with the government and the results are binding.

        Chairman of the Jakarta General Election Commission (KPU DKI) Sumarno has opined that one of the articles of the newly revised 2015 Regional Head Elections Law could undermine the commission's independence as an election organizer.

         The article said that KPU is required to hold consultations with the government, and the decision made during the consultations is binding, Sumarno said recently during a discussion on regional head elections (Pilkada).
   Binding decision could threaten the commission's independence, he stated.

         The previous law, before it was revised, did not have an article on a consultation's decision being binding, he remarked.

        The Article 9 of the Law is a regress for the commission's independence, he noted. The KPU reportedly will contest Article 9.

        Earlier, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized the need to have a law on regional head elections, which is of a permanent nature.

     
"We can no longer remain trapped in short-term politics. We must really think about bigger goals, and longer-term goals, particularly to guard the quality of the democratic process in this country," President Jokowi said at the presidential office when heading a limited cabinet meeting in May.

        The Pilkada law is needed for a legal umbrella and guiding principles to implement the Pilkada process, he underlined.

        The president also asked the minister to discuss the Pilkada plan with the General Election Commission (KPU), particularly regarding the budget allocation.

        At least 101 provinces, districts and cities including Jakarta, will hold Pilkada in February next year.

        They include seven provinces that will select governors and deputy governors, notably in Aceh Darussalam, Bangka Belitung, Banten, and Jakarta Capital City Special Region, in addition to West Sulawesi, Gorontalo and West Papua.

        Besides, 76 districts will elect district heads and deputies, and 18 cities will elect mayors and deputy mayors. 
   One of the most interesting aspects about the next Pilkada is that candidates will have to undergo drug tests to be carried out with the cooperation of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN).

       In the first simultaneous election, several regions involved BNN, several others did not. For the next election, all will involve BNN, according to BNN Head Budi Waseso recently.

        BNN will also work with the KPU to give a drug-free recommendation as a requirement for the candidacy of regional leaders.

         According to Article 46 O the Regulation of the general election commission (KPU) number 9 of 2015 on the candidacy of regional leaders, government hospitals may be authorized check the mental and physical fitness of regional head candidates and the hospital will be decided by the Indonesian Doctor Association (IDI).

         The first Pilkada held simultaneously in 264 regions in 32 out of Indonesia's 34 provinces was participated in by 810 pairs of regional head candidates. They included 123 women contesting for regional heads or deputy regional heads, or only 7.32 percent of the total candidates.

          The 810 pairs of regional head candidates, including 122 incumbents, contested for the posts of eight governors and vice governors, 222 district heads and their deputies, and 34 mayors and their deputies.

   
Some 100,461,890 Indonesians comprising 50,297,463 men and 50,164,427 women were eligible as voters in the 2015 Pilkada, according to last year's data provided by the KPU.  
    In general, last year's local elections ran smoothly with some regions registering a very high voter turnout which in a few others, it was quite low.

         More than 140 thousand police officers and 35,079 military officers were deployed to ensure security during the local elections.

          The number of female candidates contesting in the 2015 simultaneous regional head elections (Pilkada) 2015 was relatively small, but their participation has been considered crucial to make Indonesia's politics more humane. (f001/INE/f001)
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 18-06-2016 16:20:30