Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government will conduct a thorough evaluation before making a final decision on whether to maintain or modify the current system of regional head elections, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto stated.
"Of course, we will not rush this decision," he remarked during a visit to a public senior high school on Tuesday.
Sugiarto emphasized that it would be beneficial for Indonesia to decide on the system as soon as possible, allowing more time to prepare for the next cycle of regional head elections in 2029.
He also noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs seeks input and suggestions from the public to guide the decision on the future of Indonesia's local elections.
"We need feedback from various parties, including universities, researchers, non-governmental organizations, political parties, and legislators in the DPR," he pointed out, referring to Indonesia's House of Representatives.
Sugiarto acknowledged that some people view a switch from direct to indirect elections as a democratic setback for Indonesia.
"Both the shift to indirect elections through local legislators and the continuation of the direct election system have their pros and cons. We will discuss this matter thoroughly," he emphasized.
Baca juga: Regions across RI urged to improve waste management at all levels
Earlier, President Prabowo Subianto and Golkar Party Chairman Bahlil Lahadalia raised the possibility of switching to indirect regional head elections through local legislators during a commemorative event marking the party's 60th anniversary in Bogor, West Java, on Thursday (December 12).
"I observe that our neighboring countries have adopted more efficient local election systems. In Malaysia, Singapore, and India, people elect members of local representative councils, who then choose regional heads. Unlike our system, this method is more efficient and less costly," Prabowo remarked.
Baca juga: Implement AOIP to Implement AOIP tomaintain regional stability, security: RI
The following day, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas expressed that the idea of shifting to an indirect regional head election system was worth considering.
"Note that the 1945 Constitution and the General Election Law only require the election of regional heads to be democratic. A democratic election is not necessarily a direct one," he stated.
Govt to carefully determineregional poll system: deputy minister
PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Regional Jawa Bagian Barat (JBB) melalui Fuel Terminal (FT) Bandung bersama Pemerintah Desa Pangauban meresmikan Gedung Serbaguna Lentera Jiwa sebagai bagian dari program Tanggung Jawab Sosial dan Lingkungan (TJSL) di kawasan Desa Pangauban Kecamatan Batujajar Kabupaten Bandung Barat, Senin (16/12/2024). ANTARA/HO-Pertamina Patra
