Acting Regional Heads to be Evaluated Every 3 Months

Every three months the acting regional head is required to make an accountability report. The report becomes the evaluation material for the central government.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian takes a photo with five acting governors after the inauguration at the Ministry of Home Affairs Office, Jakarta, Thursday (12/5/2022). Those appointed were Al Muktabar (Banten), Ridwan Djamaluddin (Bangka Belitung), Akmal Malik (West Sulawesi), Hamka Hendra Noer (Gorontalo), and Commissioner General (Ret.) Paulus Waterpauw (West Papua).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Acting regional heads should carry out their jobs seriously, as they will be required to make an accountability report every three months for use in their evaluation and in the central government’s monitoring mechanism.

In his speech during the inauguration ceremony of five acting governors, held on Thursday in Jakarta, Home Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian reminded the newly appointed interim leaders of their obligation to submit accountability reports.

“Acting governors are obliged to submit a quarterly accountability report to the President through the Home Minister, while acting regents and mayors must report to the Home Minister through the governor. That is the mechanism," Tito said.

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The government installed on Thursday five acting governors: acting Banten governor Al Muktabar, acting Bangka Belitung governor Ridwan Djamaluddin, acting West Sulawesi governor Akmal Malik, acting Gorontalo governor Hamka Hendra Noer and acting West Papua governor Paulus Waterpauw.

From now until 2023, the terms of as many as 271 elected regional heads and their deputies will end. Caretaker officials will fill their vacant posts until their elected replacements are determined at the 2024 simultaneous regional elections.

Continuing, Tito said the accountability report also served as a control mechanism so officials would fulfill the duties of their offices in accordance with their mandate. They would serve as acting regional head for one year, and their terms in office could be extended or they could be replaced based on their three-monthly performance evaluation.

"Later, we will see what they do, we will receive feedback from the field," said the minister.

He also invited the public, as well as the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) to monitor the caretaker officials' performances.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Five acting governors take their oaths of office guided by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian during their inauguration at the Ministry of Home Affairs Office, Jakarta, Thursday (12/5/2022). Those appointed were Al Muktabar (Banten), Ridwan Djamaluddin (Bangka Belitung), Akmal Malik (West Sulawesi), Hamka Hendra Noer (Gorontalo), and Commissioner General (Ret.) Paulus Waterpauw (West Papua).

Focus on tasks

In addition, Tito called on all acting regional heads to focus on fulfilling the duties they inherit from the outgoing heads of their respective regions.

Meanwhile, Herman Nurcahyadi Suparman, the executive director of the Monitoring Committee for the Implementation of Regional Autonomy (KPPOD), said the Home Ministry needed to establish a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to supervise acting regional heads. He explained that this mechanism should be based on assessment variables and indicators in the five dimensions of planning, budgeting, policy design and implementation, institutions, and public services.

"The monitoring and evaluation framework needs to be backed by technical regulations so the government and the public have the same framework," he said.

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The three-monthly evaluation mechanism should also involve multiple stakeholders, such as Regional Legislative Councils (DPRDs), civil society, mass media, academics, and the private sector.

"The Home Ministry also needs to carry out supervision through digital platforms, so that all [stakeholders] will have the opportunity to provide feedback,” he said.

Quite democratic

Regarding the figures appointed as acting regional heads, Tito said their selection was not solely determined by the President and the Home Minister, and that it was also based on recommendations and inputs from the public.

"The President then holds a meeting with the assessment team, which comprises a number of ministers and institutional heads, to make a decision. The selection mechanism is quite democratic,” he said.

In other words, the selection process was in line with Constitutional Court (MK) Decision No. 67/2021, which contained certain terms so as to avoid legal flaws in the appointment of caretaker officials. According to Tito, however, there was no obligation stipulated in the MK ruling for the government to issue technical regulations on the appointment of caretaker officials.

This meant it was up to the government to determine whether it was necessary to issue technical regulations.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.