Golkar Weighs Proposal for Regional Elections Without Deputy, Citing Leadership Conflicts
Golkar Party Secretary-General Muhammad Sarmuji has expressed support for a proposal that regional elections (pilkada) should only elect a regional head without a deputy. Sarmuji said his party has discussed the option.
“That is one of the options that has also been discussed. A regional election without a deputy, and the election model has already been talked about,” Sarmuji said at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (12/8/2026).
According to him, a regional election without a deputy would avoid clashes between regional heads and their deputies. He therefore believes the proposal deserves consideration.
“Indeed, as one way to avoid clashes between regional heads and deputies, which is currently a phenomenon in many regions, a regional election without a deputy could be considered,” he said.
The chairman of the Golkar faction in the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) said there are also many other options currently being discussed. However, his party is pushing for an election model that can reduce conflicts between regional heads.
“Yes, there are still many options, whether it is a regional election without a deputy or another model of regional election, but one that avoids conflict between the regional head and the deputy regional head,” he said.
He also urged a revision of the Regional Elections Law to address the issue. He said that so far there has been no discussion of plans to revise the Regional Elections Law.
“It would certainly be in the regional elections law. But whether the regional elections law becomes its own standalone law or is codified or made into an omnibus law within the elections law has still not been decided to this day,” he said.
Previously, Muhammad Khozin, a member of Commission II of the DPR from the PKB faction, proposed that regional elections should only elect a regional head without a deputy. In his view, the deputy regional head should be appointed by the elected regional head.
Khozin made the remarks during a meeting of Commission II of the DPR RI with the Ministry of Home Affairs and regional heads and deputy regional heads at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (30/7/2026). Khozin said the proposal was intended to prevent deputy regional heads from being used merely as vote-getters in regional elections.
“What is the second solution? Fix the Regional Elections Law. Let us just elect a regional head without a deputy. The deputy regional head can simply be appointed by the regional head. This is so that they do not just become vote-getters; it is a pity for deputy regional heads at the moment,” he said.