Caring for the Credibility, Integrity, and Competence of Regional Heads
A series of sting operations (OTT) by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) against several regional heads recently cannot be adequately addressed merely by expressing concern. These arrests once again remind all parties of the importance of an open selection process for public leadership candidates. Selection is necessary to allow the public to know the aspects of credibility, competence, and integrity of potential leaders.
Candidates for leadership must gain public trust by building confidence that their leadership is beyond doubt. They must also demonstrate integrity by offering realistic programmes; meaning there is alignment between campaign promises and the desire to realise programmes whose benefits are directly felt by the local community.
The public certainly desires competent leaders because, in turn, they are required to be able to integrate knowledge and technical skills from various communities to realise the productivity of the respective region.
The public always desires every leader to be able to maximise the diverse potentials of the region to achieve common goals and benefits.
Therefore, no less important is giving the public the opportunity to know the capabilities of potential leaders in managing local government organisations (Pemda), including the management and utilisation of budgets.
In front of all communities, they must appear as accountable leaders, with a spirit of servant leadership to the community, not as rulers who demand to be served.
If even the level of directors and managers in organisations or company management must be prepared through several stages of service and technical skills development, it is very reasonable for the selection process of public leadership candidates or regional heads to also go through an open selection.
Not only because the scale of the Pemda organisation is far larger, but also because regional heads lead communities with very diverse backgrounds. Therefore, it is the public’s right to know and understand the aspects of competence, credibility, and integrity of their potential leaders.
The aspects of competence, credibility, and integrity of public leadership candidates deserve the attention of all political parties (parpol). Because, in the practice of regional head elections, every candidate or pair of candidates is nominated by parpol or a coalition of parpol.
Thus, it can be assumed that every parpol has prepared its best cadres to run in direct elections for governors, regents, or mayors. In the internal preparation process, every parpol could involve other relevant institutions.
For example, sending cadres to participate in programmes organised by the National Defence Institute (Lemhanas). As is known, since October 2023, Lemhanas has organised the Regional Leadership Enhancement Course (KPPD). Currently, KPPD participants at Lemhanas are still limited to regional leaders such as regents, mayors, and chairmen of regional people’s representative councils (DPRD).
In the future, Lemhanas is expected to create programmes relevant to the needs of parpol in preparing regional head candidates, primarily focusing on the aspects of competence, credibility, and integrity of public leaders. The intended programme could be realised through agreements or cooperation between the Republic of Indonesia’s Lemhanas and all election-winning parpol.
The aspects of competence, credibility, and integrity of public leadership candidates must be prioritised again, due to concerns over the fact that not a few current regional heads are entangled in legal problems.
In addition, the public in several regions is also concerned with the performance of regional heads that is not yet good. One indicator is the accumulation of regional funds in banks. As of April 2026, the total regional funds deposited in banks was recorded at Rp 190 trillion.
This amount has come under scrutiny because of the high funds that have not yet been realised in regional budget expenditures. Not to mention issues of clearly inappropriate behaviour. For example, the case of a regional head purchasing official vehicles costing up to billions of rupiah.
When questioned, the regional head responded that luxury vehicles for official use in his region were necessary to uphold the region’s dignity. As is known, in the period from August 2025 to April 2026, the KPK arrested no fewer than 11 regional heads suspected of being involved in corruption cases.
This number includes nine regents, one mayor, and one governor. It is also recorded that 10 of the arrested regional heads were results of the 2024 regional head elections (Pilkada).
Their main corruption modus operandi was abuse of authority. They were generally involved in cases of bribery for infrastructure projects, extortion, buying and selling of positions, gratification, and project mark-ups. In East Java, within a year, three regional heads were caught in KPK OTT operations, namely in Ponorogo, Madiun, and Tulungagung.
The KPK itself notes that corruption loopholes lie not only in the system but also in the integrity of the individual perpetrators. The patterns are similar, and the same modi operandi often recur. In addition, internal supervision of Pemda, usually carried out by district inspectorates, appears ineffective. If effective, district inspectorates should be able to reduce corruption loopholes with various modi operandi.
From the series of KPK OTT operations against several regional heads, the tendency or assumption that corruption is increasingly rampant in the last decade has been proven. This assumption has been frequently voiced by various parties. Not only rampant, but corrupt practices and behaviour are often carried out openly and without shame.
Assuming the public can be deceived, these corrupt practices and behaviours are often spiced with reasons or explanations that are completely unacceptable to common sense. This tendency can be observed from the realisation of several ongoing priority programmes. That is the consequence if aspects of competence, credibility, and integrity are not prioritised.
Bambang Soesatyo, Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI)/15th People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Chairman/20th DPR RI Chairman/Chairman k