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resident Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo has signed Government Regulation No. 102/2014 on the mechanism to propose and install deputies for governors, regents and mayors across the country to implement the government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on direct regional elections issued in October by his predecessor.

Home Ministry spokesman Dodi Riyadmadji said on Friday that the new mechanism was introduced as a result of consideration of the different characteristics and needs of each area based on their size of population.

'€œSpeaking of the mechanism to appoint deputies, we consider each area to be different and to have its own conditions. That is why we'€™ve introduced different benchmarks for either one deputy, two or three,'€ he said.

According to Dodi, the regulation does not make it mandatory to have two or three deputies, as the central government could set the number at only one.

Although the regulation was signed by President Jokowi on Dec. 1, the details of the regulation were not made public until Friday.

Under the new regulation, a copy of which can be downloaded from the Cabinet Secretariat website
setkab.go.id, provinces with populations of fewer than 1 million will have no deputy governor, while those with populations between 1 million and 3 million will have one. Provinces with populations between 3 million and 10 million may have two deputies, while those with populations of over 10 million will be allowed to have three.

The regulation also stipulates that regencies or municipalities with less than 100,000 residents cannot have a deputy regent or deputy mayor, while those with populations between 100,000 and 250,000 can have one deputy and those with more than 250,000 may have two deputies.

Regional leaders, according to the regulation, must appoint their deputy or deputies no later than a month after their inauguration. A governor must also propose deputy candidates to the president no later than 15 days after their inauguration.

Direct elections were reinstated by then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono through the Perppu on direct local elections following criticism over his inaction that allowed a law to pass that returned the power to elect regional leaders to regional legislative councils (DPRDs), which was passed by the House of Representatives in October.

Political analyst Dimas Oky Nugroho of Jakarta-based Akar Rumput Strategic Consulting (ARSC), however, questioned the motive behind the issuance of the regulation, saying that the regulation might trigger backroom power-sharing deals among regional leaderships.

'€œThe regulation will allow leaders in densely populated regions like Jakarta offer deputy positions to political parties in exchange for certain political deals,'€ he said.

'€œThis clearly contravenes President'€™s Jokowi'€™s commitment to create an effective and efficient bureaucracy.'€

Gadjah Mada University (UGM) political science professor Purwo Santoso, however, defended the regulation, saying that it would allow for the appointment of non-political figures as regional deputy heads.

'€œThis regulation allows regional heads to recruit professionals or experienced bureaucrats as their deputies. In the long run, this will help them create a strong support system for their administrations,'€ he said.