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Regional heads to be inaugurated soon, despite disputes
(Illustration: JP)Hundreds of victorious candidates from the recent round of regional elections are to be inaugurated in February and March, while dozens of disputes remain unsettled
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(Illustration: JP) (Illustration: JP)
(Illustration: JP)
Hundreds of victorious candidates from the recent round of regional elections are to be inaugurated in February and March, while dozens of disputes remain unsettled.
Indonesia's first simultaneous regional elections on Dec. 9 were largely hailed as a success story but nevertheless resulted in 147 election disputes across 132 regions, or half of the total 264 regions in the archipelagic country conducting the democratic political transition last month.
Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said the first wave of inaugurations would be from Feb. 9 to 15, for seven governors and 132 regents and mayors. A presidential regulation had been prepared to ensure the inauguration would conform to the Regional Elections Law.
"If possible, seven governors and 132 local government will be inaugurated between Feb. 9 and Feb. 15. The disputed regions will hold inaugurations in the middle of March," Tjahjo said at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.
The Constitutional Court has held preliminary hearings on the cases and is set to complete the hearings by March 7.
Most of the lawsuits were brought by candidate pairs for regent and deputy regent positions with 128 cases files, or 87 percent of all disputes. Candidates for mayor and deputy mayor posts filed 11 lawsuits, while the remaining six lawsuits were filed by governor and deputy governor pairings.
"In terms of regional head [inauguration] delays, due to disputes currently being proceeded at the Constitutional Court, we keep following the schedule decided by the General Elections Commission (KPU)," Tjahjo said.
The terms of 23 regional heads end in June 2016. Inevitably, their terms will be cut.
"We, the KPU, and the Cabinet Secretary continue to discuss the presidential regulation, since an ad interim official has limited authority on budget spending," Tjahjo said. (ags)
