ENSURING PEACEFUL AND SMOOTH THIRD SIMULTANEOUS REGIONAL HEAD ELECTIONS by Fardah

Jakarta, Feb 5, 2018 (Antara) - Indonesia will hold the third simultaneous regional head elections (pilkada) in 171 regions, comprising 17 provinces, 39 municipalities, and 115 districts across the country, on June 27, 2018.

         The number of eligible voters for the pilkada 2018 reaches 158 million, or some 80 percent of the total number of eligible voters for the presidential and legislative elections in 2019, which is some 197 million.

         The pilkada is believed to be one of the largest elections held within a single day, in the world.    
    National Police Chief Tito Karnavian has expressed optimism that the next pilkada would be peaceful and smooth.

         Karnavian expressed belief that the Police Force has extensive experience in securing elections in the previous years, which were held peacefully and smoothly.
    The second pilkada was held on February 15, 2017, in 101 regions comprising seven provinces, 76 districts, and 18 municipalities across Indonesia. The first Pilkada was organized in 2015.

         Furthermore, Karnavian remarked that the levels of public awareness and maturity have also increased significantly in facing this celebration of democracy.

         Synergy between the National Police Force and the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) is also becoming more harmonized, which means both institutions will be able to maintain security better.

         The Police chief admitted to have instructed his personnel to maintain neutrality for securing the elections.

         "I have instructed all police officers to remain on neutral ground," he revealed.

         Several governors, including current governors of West Java and North Sumatra, have to resign, as they will run for the second term in the pilkada.

         Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo had recently stated that he will propose the appointment of two active police generals to be acting governors of West Java and North Sumatra provinces, respectively.

         The two high-ranking police officers are Inspector General Martuani Sormin for North Sumatra Province and Inspector General Mochamad Iriawan for West Java Province.  
    Kumolo stated that the two names were proposed by the Indonesian Police chief and the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs. He believed that it would not violate any regulation.

         However, the minister has not sent a proposal letter to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as the final decision maker on this matter.

         President Jokowi had confirmed on Jan 31 that he was yet to receive a proposal on the appointment of high-ranking police officers as acting governors.

         "Once again, the proposal has not arrived on my table. Hence, I do not want to comment," he noted in response to the press' questions.

         Several suspicions have arisen over the planned appointments, when in fact, there is no certainty that the proposal would be placed on the president's table, he remarked.

         Jokowi also questioned several parties that had objected to the discourse. In the past, no objections had been raised against the appointments of military and police officers as acting governors.

         "It was not a problem in the past. There were many (acting governors) from TNI (Indonesian Defense Forces) and Polri (National Police), and it was fine," he informed the press.

         The discourse on appointing high-ranking police officers as acting governors has triggered pros and cons.

         Supporting Kumolo's viewpoint, Constitutional law expert Johanes Tube Helan of the University of Nusa Cendana in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, remarked that police and military members can be appointed to serve as acting governors.

         He opined that active military and police members have been granted the privilege to occupy several key positions, and they pose no problems.

         Hence, he has advised that the plan to name military and police members as acting governors should not necessarily be questioned.

         Meanwhile, those opposing the appointment of active high-ranking police officers believe that it violates the existing regulations.

              If active high-ranking officials are appointed on grounds of preventing any potential unrest during the regional head elections (pilkada), then the Indonesian Defense Forces and National Police are tasked with preventing conflicts, and in this case, an acting governor does not have the authority,  Arfianto Purbolaksono, a political observer of the Indonesian Institute, noted.

          He called on President Jokowi to be heedful of the aspirations of the public by declining the home affairs minister's proposals to appoint high-ranking police officers as acting governors, particular in the current political year.

          Fadli Ramadhanil, a researcher from Perludem, an election and democracy watch, urged Kumolo to cancel the planned appointment.

          If the home affairs minister appoints people apart from the aforementioned officials, he would likely violate the existing regulations, he remarked.

         If Minister Kumolo goes ahead with his plans and proposes them to President Jokowi, then he called on President Jokowi to decline the proposal.  ***2***
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 05-02-2018