Governors were split on the issue with some wanting to maintain direct elections, while others wanted to have governors elected by provincial legislative councils.

“Returning to elections by legislative councils is a setback. It will reduce democratic participation,” Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Deputy Governor Muhammad Nazar told The Jakarta Post.

He said the old system gave no guarantee gubernatorial elections would be cheaper and could even make elections more expensive. “No one can control and prevent bribery from occurring,” he said.

Nazar suggested that conducting simultaneous regional elections, as occurred in his province, would be a good solution for cash-strapped regions. “It is proven to be more efficient, cheaper and more secure,” he said.

He added that his province required less than Rp 10 billion to hold elections in 19 regencies and municipalities as well as simultaneously holding gubernatorial elections. If adopted nationally, he said, the country would only need 33 regional elections.

Riau Governor Rusli Zainal, however, suggested election by legislative council was more economical. A direct gubernatorial election, he said, could cost between Rp 800 billion to Rp 900 billion per candidate.

“In some cases, however, the result is not that effective,” Rusli admitted.

He also said regents and mayors needed to be directly elected as they communicated directly to the people.

“That’s not the case with governors, who are regional representatives of the central government who are tasked with coordinating and supervising the government administration in regencies and municipalities,” he said.

Rusli refused to call Wednesday’s meeting futile. “The meeting was not supposed to end with a decision. It was a brainstorming session for the Home Ministry to discuss revisions to the 2004 law,” he said.

With regard to proposals to strengthen the governor’s role as the central government representative, Rusli said the revised draft included important changes to authority and delegation, leaving the central government with five key decisions.

“Eleven other decisions will go to provincial administrations, including the authority to determine budget and employment structure,” Rusli said.

For example, Rusli said, a municipal secretary would be appointed not with the home minister’s approval, but with the governor’s approval instead.

The same holds in the appointment of first echelon officials.

Vice President Boediono, who spoke at the meeting, didn’t comment on the lack of an outcome. “The more discussions we have, the better,” he said.

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