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View all search resultsPush to postpone village head elections draws democratic concerns
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Members of the All-Indonesia Village Administration Association (Apdesi) hold a protest on Dec. 5, 2023, in front of the legislative complex in Jakarta. They demanded the House of Representatives revise the 2014 Village Law, urging lawmakers to increase the maximum village head term from six to nine years. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)
A
fresh proposal to extend the tenure of village heads and abolish village elections to save money for President Prabowo Subianto’s costly signature programs has drawn flak from critics over the risk of undermining democracy and weakening accountability at the local level.
The idea was raised by a group of village chiefs, whose terms are due to expire, during a meeting last Wednesday with House of Representatives leaders in Jakarta, led by deputy speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, a politician from Prabowo’s Gerindra Party.
The group demanded a halt in the ongoing preparations for village head elections in some areas, citing unresolved challenges, including the absence of technical regulations from the Home Ministry.
The group proposed that village heads whose terms are about to end be allowed to remain in office despite having already served the maximum term, arguing that this would reduce election-related spending, in line with the government's ongoing push for budget efficiency.
Some village heads have also proposed removing term limits altogether on the grounds that this would ensure continuity and stability in the village administrations needed to help roll out government programs, including the free nutritious meal and Red and White Cooperatives programs.
Some 36,000 village heads across the country are expected to complete their terms between 2026 and 2029, after a controversial 2024 revision to the Village Law extended their tenure from six to eight years. Approved by the House and the administration of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo just a week before the February 2024 presidential race, the revision at the time was seen as politically motivated, after several groups of village chiefs publicly backed Jokowi’s preferred successor Prabowo and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son.
Read also: Village law revision raises 'political transaction' red flag
