IO – The inauguration of new Regional Heads elected in the 2020 Regional Elections will take place in stages, according to the Ministry of Home Affair’s Director General of Regional Autonomy Akmal Malik, as the end of Regional Head terms of office varies.
“Of the 270 regions included in the 2020 Regional Elections, we have one region whose term of office ended in May 2019. We also have: 207 regions whose terms of office is ending this month, February; 13 re gions whose terms of office is ending in March; 17 regions whose terms end in April; 11 regions in May; 17 regions in June; one region in July; two regions in September; and one region whose term of office is ending in February 2022. This is why we are holding the Regional Inaugurations in three stages: the first simultane ous regional inaugurations will be held on 26 February, the second one will be held in April, and the third one in July 2021,” Akmal Malik stat ed in his office today, Wednesday (17/02/2021).
Akmal went on to state that even though the terms of office of the Heads of 207 regions are ending this month, only about 170 officials will be inaugurated, due to unresolved disputes. “This February we will be inaugurating the heads of 122 dis pute-free regions, plus the heads of regions whose dispute cases were rejected by the Constitution Court; that’s about 50 regions. That means we will only be inaugurating about 170 officials at the end of this month,” he said.
Akmal further stated that the ex act number of regional officials to be inaugurated in the Second Stage is yet unknown. However, “The Second Stage Inauguration, which we will perform at the end of April, is for those whose disputes are still being processed in the Constitution Court and will be judged on 24 March, the heads of 13 regions whose terms of office are ending in March, and the heads of 17 regions who end in April,” he said.
The Third Stage Inauguration will be held in July for 28 regions, i.e. 11 regions whose terms of office ends in May and 17 whose terms ends in June. “The final regions whose officials will be inaugurated are Yalimo (term ending in Septem ber), Mamberamo Raya, Muna, and Pematang Siantar (terms all ending in February 2021). We will try to inaugurate ahead in September or July this year. We are still commu nicating with relevant institutions about the inauguration of officials in these four regions, in order to avoid violating the provisions of Articles 60 and 162 of Law No. 23 of 2014, concerning the duration of regional head officials, which is set at five years,” Akmal said. (Dessy)