A fresh initiative in the House of Representatives to hold next year’s regional elections two months earlier than scheduled has sparked concern that this could be another move aimed at shoring up President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s position and retaining his widespread influence after he steps down.

The Jokowi administration reportedly has planned to issue an emergency regulation to reschedule the elections from Nov. 24 of next year to sometime in September, a month before the President steps down.

But lawmakers appeared ready to take over the initiative as Jokowi and his aides have already contended with negative sentiment and allegations of partiality ahead of the February presidential election.

Lawmakers moved fast two weeks ago to realize the initiative, with the House Legislation Body (Baleg) agreeing in an unanticipated closed-door meeting during recess to endorse a revision to the prevailing Regional Elections Law, which regulates that the regional polls be held in November.

“We have requested that the House leadership hold a plenary session to approve the preliminary draft as a bill under the House’s initiative,” Baleg chairman Supratman Andi Atgas of Gerindra Party told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The bill, according to Supratman, will help the country’s presidential election system work more efficiently given that it will include a provision that allows the government to simultaneously inaugurate hundreds of incoming elected regional leaders.

Six factions at the House have agreed to press ahead with the revision while three others – the NasDem Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) – rejected the proposal, according to Supratman. The three parties make up the electoral alliance backing opposition figure Anies Baswedan.

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