The discourse on returning the system of regional head elections from direct elections (pilkada) by the people to elections by the Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) has resurfaced, sparking debates among various circles.
This idea was first raised by the Chair of Golkar and later supported by the President of Indonesia, Prabowo.
The proposal is based on several reasons: cost efficiency, reducing the potential for horizontal conflicts, and increasing governmental effectiveness.
However, many argue that this change could reduce public participation in the democratic process and open greater opportunities for transactional politics.
This controversy demands a thorough review to ensure that the election system reflects democratic principles and safeguards the broader public interest.
Dr. Yance Arizona, a constitutional law expert from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), sharply criticized this idea, indicating democratic regression in Indonesia.
He views this proposal as a symptom of the growing deterioration of democracy, warning that its implementation could be the first step in dismantling democratic institutions built since the reform era.
According to him, there would be many negative impacts if regional head elections were returned to the DPRD.
Firstly, politically, it would eliminate the citizens’ right to directly elect their regional leaders.
“Over the past 20 years, many good regional leaders have emerged because the people directly elected them,” said Dr. Arizona.
For him, the proposal reflects the weak commitment of democratically elected leaders.
Instead of strengthening democracy, they undermine the democratic processes that enabled them to rise to power.
Secondly, there would be a strong determinant factor from political parties when selecting regional heads.
Indonesian political parties are highly centralized, so their members in the regions would follow the party’s central executive board (DPP) decisions.
This would make the election process more centralized and would greatly benefit only the major political parties.
“Thus, medium and small parties should not support the discourse of returning regional head elections to the DPRD because they will get nothing from it,” Dr. Arizona explained.
Additionally, one of the supporting factors for this discourse is related to cost savings in elections and an effort to curb the uncontrolled practice of money politics during campaign periods.
However, Dr. Arizona dismissed this as a non-issue.
He suggested that politicians could cut costs by reducing travel expenses and routine meeting costs during elections.
The savings could be used to enhance election monitoring and management.
Instead of changing the election system, Dr. Arizona believes that the government should improve budget efficiency and take strict action against vote-buying through existing regulatory bodies.
According to Dr. Arizona, strong public pressure is needed to prevent this proposal from advancing, as it seeks to centralize power and silence the people’s voices.
He also warned of the current political climate, where state officials, who should remain neutral, have shown political bias by participating in campaigns and influencing the selection of preferred regional head candidates.
This situation will worsen if the proposed system is implemented.
“In the future, it would be very easy for the government to decide who becomes a regional head, so the people need to voice their concerns,” he concluded.
Author: Rahma Khoirunnisa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna Nurseisa Azrien
Photo: Freepik