IO – Head of Information Center of the Home Ministry Benni Irwan announced that there will be 101 regional heads whose terms end in 2022. Seven of these are governors, 76 are regents and 18 mayors.
Benni said interim regional heads would be selected to fill the vacant positions, referring to Law No. 10/2016, which has been refined into Law No. 6/2020 about the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors. The acting governors, regents and mayors will serve until the next regional head election in 2024.
Benni said Paragraph 10 of Law No. 6/2020 stipulates that an interim governor be appointed from intermediate high leadership positions to fill the vacancy in the governor’s position until the new governor’s inauguration.
Then, Paragraph 11 of Law N0. 6/2020 states that an interim regent/mayor be appointed from high leadership positions to fill the vacancy in the regent/mayor position until the inauguration of the regents and mayors.
Member of Committee II of the House of Representatives Guspardi Gaus advised the Home Ministry not to appoint an interim governor or regent/mayor from the TNI-Polri (the Armed Forces-the National Police). He strongly suggested the Ministry follow the regulations for filling the vacant positions.
Guspardi said appointing interim successors for vacant positions is a part of the 2024 general election process. Thus, it carries significant political nuances.
The Home Ministry should not intervene, nor should it be persuaded by political parties in nominating interim successors. “The Home Ministry must work professionally. Don’t get swayed by anyone,” said Guspardi. “Don’t let political parties’ bring any pressure to bear in order to take advantage of the vacant positions for their own political interest,” said Guspardi. (des)