Tight Monitoring and Evaluation Imperative

To ensure that officials perform well and are neutral during the general elections and the simultaneous regional head elections in 2024, the government is required to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation functions.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

President Joko widodo congratulated the Governor-Deputy Governor of West Nusa Tenggara, Zulkieflimansyah and Sitti Rohmi Djalilah who were sworn in as Governor and Deputy Governor of 2018-2023, at the State Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (19/9/2018).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Five interim regional heads are to be officially installed on Thursday (12/5/2022) to take over in regions where the governor and deputy governor’s terms are ending.

They are part of the first “batch” of acting regional heads to be installed from this year until 2023 to lead a total of 265 provincial, regency and municipal administrations for the interim until 2024. The government has been urged to strengthen its monitoring and evaluation to ensure that acting regional heads not only perform well in their appointed roles, but also remain neutral during the general elections as well as the simultaneous regional head elections that take place across the nation in 2024.

Based on data from the Home Ministry, the five officials to be appointed the acting heads of their regions are: Banten administrative secretary Al Muktabar as the acting governor of Banten; Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry director general of minerals and coal Ridwan Djamaluddin as the acting governor of Bangka Belitung Islands; Home Ministry director general of regional autonomy Akmal Malik as the acting governor of West Sulawesi; Youth and Sports Ministry expert staffer Hamka Hendra Noer as the acting governor of Gorontalo; National Border Management Agency deputy head Comm. General (Ret.) Paulus Waterpauw as the acting governor of West Papua.

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While the decision to appoint acting officials is in the hands of President Joko Widodo, the candidates had to undergo screening by the Home Ministry, the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry, the State Secretariat, and the State Civil Service Agency. The outgoing regional heads were also allowed to propose candidates who were potentially eligible to replace them when they vacated their posts.

Home Minister Tito Karnavian is scheduled to swear in the five acting governors on Thursday. "Yes, that's right. The inauguration will be held tomorrow [Thursday]," the ministry’s secretary-general Suhajar Diantoro confirmed on Wednesday (11/5).

The swearing in ceremony is to be held at the ministry’s Sasana Bhakti Praja hall. The ceremony’s rehearsal was to be held on Wednesday afternoon, but Kompas learned that none of the five candidates turned up.

DOKUMENTASI KEMENDAGRI

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian submits a decree from the Minister of Home Affairs to the acting governor at the Ministry of Home Affairs Office, Jakarta, Friday (25/9/2020).

Next batch

Suhajar said the next batch of acting regional heads would comprise a total of 37 acting regents/deputy regents and 6 mayors/deputy mayors who were scheduled to be install on 22 May 2022, when the incumbents’ terms ended.

While demonstrating his trust in the incoming acting governor’s capacity to lead the administration, Banten Regional Legislative Council (DPR) Speaker Andra Soni said the council would continue to monitor the administration’s performance. The DPRD promised to support the caretaking leader in budgeting and legislation.

West Papua DPRD Deputy Speaker Saleh Siknun expressed his hope that the incoming interim governor would continue the strategic programs outlined by either the central government or Governor Dominggus Mandacan and Deputy Governor Mohammad Lakotani, whose terms were ending.

"We also urge the acting governor to establish communication with the DPRD and local community leaders in dealing with various problems in the community,” Saleh said.

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Principal Soni Sumarsono of the College of Governmental and Civil Service Studies (STIPAN) also pointed out the importance of the Home Ministry following up on the appointment of caretaker regional heads by implementing tight monitoring and evaluation.

If an interim regional head failed to carry out their duties properly and professionally or did not maintain neutrality during the 2024 general elections and simultaneous regional elections, they must be removed from their posts immediately, he said.

"You don't have to wait for their terms to end. Therefore, it is imperative that the Home Ministry monitor them as input for making a decision [to replace the acting officials]," Soni said.

He added that it was necessary to help quell people’s discontent over suspicions over a lack of transparency or public participation in the process of selecting the acting regional heads.

The Home Ministry must also be able to convince the public that the appointed officials were the best choices. "The public needs assurances," he said.

This article was translated by Musthofid.