No one wants village head job

No one wants village head job

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Eighty villages in Banyumas regency may face a power vacuum because no candidates have registered to run for the usually much-coveted job of village head.

Solikhin, a resident of Cilongok village, said no one was interested in the job because village heads throughout the province who were considered corrupt or inept had been recently pressured to step down.

"Usually the competition for the job is tough," he said. Recent demonstrations in many areas have forced village heads to resign, something unheard of before former president Soeharto himself resigned following huge public pressure.

In Banyumas alone, 75 village heads have stepped down, many of them facing sharp public criticism. In Sumbang subdistrict, the village chief and his helpers were kept hostage for 24 hours and were released only when they agreed to resign.

In an effort to attract candidates, regent Aris Setiono has lowered the requirements for the position. "Before, the minimum education was a senior high school diploma. Now it is only required that the candidate have an elementary school education," Aris said.

The election for village heads will be held from Oct. 17 to Nov. 7, he added. (45)