Election organizers, the House of Representatives and the government have agreed to hold the 2024 general elections and simultaneous regional elections on 14 February and 27 November 2024, respectively.
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KOMPAS EDITOR
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ANTARA FOTO/YULIUS SATRIA WIJAYA
Police guard an official of the Bogor General Elections Commission (KPU) on Wednesday (12/6/2019) in Cibinong, Bogor regency, West Java, as he readies a ballot box to submit as evidence in the election dispute over the 2019 presidential election. The KPU Bogor has unsealed its ballot boxes to provide the vote recapitulation forms to the Constitutional Court in Jakarta.
Election organizers, the House of Representatives and the government have agreed to hold the 2024 general elections and simultaneous regional elections on 14 February and 27 November 2024, respectively.
The agreement rules out any possibility of a third presidential term or the elections being postponed to 2027. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo once said that discourse on extending his presidential term would be a loss.
What we should celebrate from this agreement is the maintained optimism for the future of Indonesia’s democracy. This is because free and regular elections are important criteria for a democratic system.
Once the election date has been agreed upon, there are several other urgent matters to be resolved. Before their term of office ends in April, the General Elections Commission (KPU) and Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) need to prepare a number of draft regulations to ensure the elections are staged with success. Article 167 (6) of Law No. 7/2017 concerning the general elections states that the elections must begin no later than 20 months before the polls.
The House must choose the most capable candidates for the KPU and Bawaslu for the 2022-2027 period from the names shortlisted by a selection team. Creating a simpler and less tiring mechanism, while also guaranteeing the quality of the elections, will remain a challenge for the future KPU and Bawaslu.
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro (KUM)
A working meeting between Commission II of the DPR and the Ministry of Home Affairs, KPU, Bawaslu, and DKPP discussed the preparation and readiness for the 2024 simultaneous general election at the Parliament Building Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday (16/9/2021 ). Discussions include the date of the election to the election budget.
The elections in 2019 taught us that holding simultaneous elections can be very complicated and tiring, as 5,175 officers fell sick and 894 died, generally due to exhaustion. We do not have enough experience in holding simultaneous elections across all regions of the country.
Meanwhile, the government needs to be transparent as it selects high-ranking officials to serve as acting governors, regents and mayors to replace those whose terms will end this year. On 15 May this year, five provinces – namely Bangka Belitung, Banten, Gorontalo, West Sulawesi and West Papua – will be led by acting regional heads. This will then be followed by six other cities and 37 districts by 22 May. This year, a total of 101 regions will be led by acting regional heads, followed by another batch of 170 in 2023.
It is with transparency that we will have acting regional heads who can adapt quickly and will be capable of running the administration until regional heads are elected while also maintaining independence in the elections.
The government must select these officials amid several other important tasks, such as economic recovery and the Group of 20 presidency. The government is also tasked with ensuring that the capital city relocation to East Kalimantan does not raise problems in the future. Political parties have already shifted their focus to the 2024 general elections while the government takes care of these tasks.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s success in leading Indonesia through these various challenges will be a valuable legacy for this country.
