President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated 481 regional heads in a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Thursday (Feb. 20).
The newly inaugurated regional heads are predominantly from parties supported by the Coalition of Indonesia Onward or KIM Plus, a coalition of political parties backing the Prabowo-Gibran administration.
Alfath Bagus Panuntun El Nur Indonesia, a lecturer from UGM’s Department of Politics and Government, stated that the dominance of KIM Plus-backed candidates in the gubernatorial and regency elections does not guarantee alignment between central and regional policies and programs.
He noted that the disjointed nature of development planning between the central and regional governments stems from existing laws and regulations.
“In my view, the issue lies more in the misalignment between regulations at the central and regional levels,” he said at the UGM campus on Friday (Feb. 21).
He explained that KIM Plus’s dominance in the 2024 Regional Elections was premeditated. The winners were already predictable, even from the nomination process.
“This is particularly evident in rural areas, though in urban regions, the population tends to be more educated and critically aware,” he said.
Although the new regional heads are part of the government’s supporting coalition, he urged civil society groups, non-governmental organizations, and the educated community within universities to play a role in scrutinizing policies that may be prone to corruption and abuse of power.
“If there’s any potential for corruption or abuse of power, it must be monitored so that the public can access accurate information. On the other hand, universities and other stakeholders should oversee the functioning of the government,” he emphasized.
Author: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya