Home Affairs Ministry Instructs Civil Servants Candidating for Regional Elections to Resign

In order to maintain the quality of public services, Ministry of Home Affairs instructed civil servants candidating for simultaneous regional elections this year to immediately resign from their offices.

“Ministry of Home Affairs encourages civil servants participating in the regional elections to submit resignation in black and white. If they resign, their positions can be replaced by other officers,” Director General for Regional Autonomy of the Ministry of Home Affairs Sumarsono said as quoted in the Ministry’s official website www.kemendagri.go.id, on Tuesday (9/1).

The Ministry is more concern on public services. Public services should not be distrupted because of the candidacy of many civil servants in regional elections. Services should be carried on as normal. Therefore, there is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for those who enter the election candidacy.

“When civil servants enter the election candidacy, there will be an SOP for it. Their tasks would be delegated to lower rank officers; thus, there will be acting officers to take over their tasks. That is the SOP in bureaucracy,” Sumarsono said.

Regarding the right time for civil servants to resign, Sumarsono said that it can be done after the determination of candidates.  However, it is better if they announce resignation when they are undoubtedly enter the candicacy, so acting officers can immediately be appointed.

“For now, civil servants who will enter the election candidacy must make a written statement declaring that they are  voluntarily willing to resign as civil servants. They would be fully resigned when they are appointed as a candidate,” Sumarsono firmly said.

The process will take a month. The decree on resignation will not be issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs but by National Civil Service Agency (BKN). The Ministry can only provide a statement letter declaring that the related civil servant is already resigned from the position.

“Thus, it is not necessary to wait for the decree on resignation to be issued. I do not think it is necessary. Thus, my office will sent a letter to General Election Commission (KPU) and Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) explaining the concerned civil servant has registered for candidacy and resigned,” Sumarsono concluded.  (Puspen Kemendagri/ES) (RAS/MMB/YM/Naster)