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Village chiefs stage rally in front of House demanding Village Law revision
Around 7,000 village chiefs protested in front of the House of Representatives building in Jakarta on Thursday demanding that the Village Law be revised.
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All politics is local: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (center) attends the national gathering of the All-Indonesia Village Administration Association (Apdesi) at the Senayan Sports Hall on March 29, 2023. (Courtesy of /Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau)
M
embers of the All-Indonesia Village Administration Association (Apdesi) staged a protest in front of the House of Representatives compound in Jakarta on Thursday.
“We estimate that there are some 7,000 of them. They are demanding the revision of Law No. 6/2014 on villages,” said Central Jakarta Police chief spokesman Adj. Comr. Dwi Hardono, as quoted by Kompas.com on Thursday.
The police deployed 2,200 officers to safeguard the rally, Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Susatyo Purnomo Condro told Kompas.com.
Earlier in January, Apdesi deputy chief Sunan Bukhari said village chiefs would organize a “massive demonstration” if legislators did not fulfill their promise to revise the Village Law.
“Apdesi and the Indonesian Village Officials Association [DPN PPDI] will conduct a counter-demand with a massive demonstration in August-October 2023 [against] the political parties who did not carry out the Village Law revision or give it their support,” said Sunan at the time, as quoted by Kompas.
Apdesi, the PPDI and the National Association of Village Councils (Abpednas) want village chiefs to be eligible to serve for three, nine-year terms.
The revision currently under consideration in the House would have village heads serve a maximum of two, nine-year terms.
