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KPU insists on holding simultaneous regional elections in November
The latest draft of a KPU regulation stipulates that the simultaneous regional elections, slated for this year in dozens of provinces and hundreds of regencies and cities, will be held on Nov. 27, despite plans from the government and House of Representatives to move up the date.
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Security personnel stand in front of the logo of the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta on Nov. 13, 2023. (AFP/Adek Berry)
The General Elections Commission (KPU) is standing firm on holding this year’s simultaneous regional elections on Nov. 27, despite a recent government proposal and House of Representatives’ initiative for an earlier voting day.
On Thursday, the election organizer held a public opinion hearing for three regulations, including the schedule for the 2024 simultaneous regional elections, which stipulated that they would be held on Nov. 27.
The 2016 Regional Elections Law mandated that the next regional elections for dozens of provinces and hundreds of regencies and cities would be held simultaneously in November.
While the law did not specify the date for the poll, a meeting between the KPU and House of Representatives Commission II overseeing home affairs decided that the regional elections would be held on Nov. 27.
“[Nov. 27] was picked based on the consideration that there won’t be any overlap between the [regional] election process with the presidential one, therefore avoiding a pile up of election-related conflicts,” KPU commissioner Yulianto Sudrajat said on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com.
He added that the November schedule would also grant political parties sufficient time to prepare every technical requirement needed to nominate their regional head candidates, especially if the presidential election goes to a second round.
While a presidential runoff has yet to be confirmed, recent opinion polls show no candidate pair can secure 50 percent or more of all votes across the country. If no candidate reaches the threshold during the Feb. 14 voting day, another round of voting will be held between the top-two contenders, slated for June 26.
