Regional Elections Will Be Conducted As Scheduled, Chief Security Minister Says

The 2020 regional elections

The Government has announced that the 2020 regional head elections will be conducted as scheduled considering that the coronavirus outbreak may not hamper the elections.

“We have no plan yet to change the schedule of regional elections  in September. The entire election process related is still under way, including operational technical preparations, political preparations, security preparations, as well as law preparation,” Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said in Jakarta, Tuesday (17/3).

According to Mahfud, a joint task force led by Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo will coordinate with regional leaders to anticipate the potential for riots in several elections areas that may be caused by policy mistakes.

Mahfud also said that regional leaders should consult with the Central Task Force regarding the policy-making on the handling of covid-19 in accordance with applicable law.

“The Government will ensure the availability of staple food. The Government will also prioritize to relocating the State Budget and the regional budgets to focus on saving lives of the people amidst the coronavirus outbreak,” Mahfud said.

Therefore, according to Mahfud, all sectors should focus to allocate the budget to food supplies to ensure social and political securities.

“It is the basic needs of the people so that there will be no food scarcity due to policy mistakes from local governments or certain government units. We all should remain united,” Mahfud said. (Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs / EN)

Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas