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Ombudsman finds maladministration in acting regional head appointment
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The Ombudsman Indonesia building in Jakarta. (tribunnews.com/File)
A
n investigation by the Indonesian Ombudsman has found that the much-debated unilateral appointment of interim regional heads by Home Minister Tito Karnavian was marred by maladministration.
Ignoring cries for transparency, the Home Ministry pushed through the unilateral appointment of hundreds of acting regional heads who will hold on to their seats until the 2024 elections, starting with appointing five interim governors in mid-May. It has since named at least another interim governor and at least 50 acting regents and mayors. A total of 101 regional leadership posts are becoming vacant this year, including the Jakarta governorship, and some 170 more next year.
The Ombudsman's investigation was launched after three civil groups, including the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), filed a complaint against Tito in early June. They accused him of being neither transparent nor accountable in appointing interim regional heads.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Ombudsman official Robert Endi Jaweng pointed to at least three indications of maladministration.
The investigation found that the home minister had violated prevailing procedures and laws in assigning acting regional heads. In particular, it pointed to the appointment of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Central Sulawesi bureau head Brig. Gen. Andi Chandra As'aduddin – an active member of the Indonesian Military (TNI) – as the acting regent of West Seram in Maluku in late May.
Read also: Govt faces mounting criticism for tapping senior TNI official as interim regent
The 2004 TNI Law says that active military personnel can only be seconded to eight other government institutions overseeing defense, security or intelligence, like BIN, as well as to the search and rescue agency and the Supreme Court, which manages military courts.
