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Despite critics, govt pushes forward with acting regional head appointment
The government is pushing forward with vetting names for acting regional leaders who will hold on to their seats until the 2024 elections despite critics saying the process is “legally flawed” and lacks transparency, as dozens of posts are set to be vacated this month.
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A man dips his finger in indelible ink in East Denpasar, Bali, after voting in the Bali gubernatorial election in June 2018. (JP/Anggara Mahendra)
T
he government is pushing forward with vetting names for acting regional leaders who will hold on to their seats until the 2024 elections despite critics saying the process is “legally flawed” and lacks transparency, as dozens of posts are set to be vacated this month.
The Home Ministry is currently “verifying or reviewing” candidates proposed by local administrations, before submitting them to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for approval, said ministry spokesperson Benny Irwan.
The ministry previously instructed regional administrations to nominate candidates to fill the soon-to-be-vacated seats, Benny said without revealing how many names each region must offer.
"Most regions have submitted the proposed [names] of candidates for acting regional heads,” Benny told The Jakarta Post on Friday. “Not only from the local administrations, the Home Ministry also has received inputs, suggestions and proposals from various stakeholders.”
Benny did not comment further when asked whether the ministry would issue new regulations detailing transparent and accountable procedures for appointing interim leaders, as ruled by the Constitutional Court two weeks ago.
In its judicial opinion issued as part of a ruling on the appointment of acting regional heads, the court said the government needed to consider devising regulations that ensured "measurable and clear mechanisms” as a way to make sure it does not ignore democratic principles.
The court, however, ruled to reject requests to either extend the tenures of sitting regional heads until definitive leaders are elected in the 2024 polls or to have the elections held in the same year the current governors, regents and mayors end their terms.
