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Jokowi issues Perppu to postpone 2020 regional elections amid outbreak
While the Perppu stipulates a postponement for this year's regional elections to December, it also opens the possibility of delaying the elections to a later date if the COVID-19 outbreak is not contained by then.
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Workers prepare ballot boxes to be distributed to the Medan chapter of the General Elections Commission's (KPU) logistical warehouse in North Sumatra on June 22, 2018. (Antara/Septianda Perdana)
T
he government has officially postponed this year’s simultaneous regional elections to December due to the COVID-19 outbreak, as stipulated in the newly signed Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 2/2020.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo signed the Perppu on Monday, ordering all ongoing election preparations to be postponed in the event of natural and non-natural disasters, among other causes, affecting regions slated to hold the regional elections.
Voting day was initially slated for Sept. 23.
“The simultaneous voting day is postponed until December 2020,” as written in the Perppu.
Read also: Candidates ask for delay on regional elections
According to the regulation, the elections could be postponed again if the situation does not allow the election committee to hold them in December. The new election date would be determined later with the approval of the government, House of Representatives and General Elections Commission (KPU).
“The Perppu will serve as a legal umbrella for the rescheduling of the regional elections,” Home Ministry spokesperson Bahtiar said in a statement on Tuesday.
The government, House and KPU agreed in late March to delay the simultaneous regional elections, opting to shift its remaining budget of around Rp 9 trillion (US$550 million) toward COVID-19 relief measures.
As of Tuesday, Indonesia recorded 12,071 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 872 fatalities and 2,197 recoveries.
