No Residents Willing to Become Manduang Village Head in Klungkung

No residents of Manduang Village in Klungkung, Bali, have come forward to run for village head. Not a single resident registered as a candidate during the regular registration period for the 2026 Simultaneous Village Head Election (Pilkel). Manduang Village has been led by an acting village head for the past three years after the definitive leader’s term expired. Acting Village Head Nengah Parwata confirmed the lack of registrants, noting that not only did no one apply, but no residents even came forward to propose a potential candidate. “Until 6 July, we were hoping someone would apply, but it remained empty. Not only were there no applicants, but no residents even came to propose a candidate,” Parwata explained on Thursday (9/7/2026). Parwata declined to speculate on the reasons for the lack of interest, despite the committee’s efforts to conduct a series of socialisation events. “Following this, according to the rules, we will carry out the first extension. Hopefully, there will be someone. Today there is socialisation in the hamlets,” he explained. Under the regulations, residents from other villages or any Indonesian citizen can register as a candidate for Manduang village head, though this is not the desired outcome. If no residents register as candidates after two extensions, Manduang will be led by an acting village head appointed by the regent for the next eight years. “Yes, we hope that a Manduang resident will register,” said Parwata, who also serves as Secretary of the Klungkung Sub-district. Head of the Klungkung Community Empowerment, Village, Population Control, and Family Planning Office (PMDPPKB), Ida Bagus Ketut Mas Ananda, stated that the regular registration period for the village head election closed on Monday (6 July 2026). However, four villages failed to meet the regulatory threshold. “According to the rules, there must be at least two candidates to avoid a single-candidate phenomenon. So far, Tojan and Satra villages each have only one candidate, the incumbent, and two villages have none, namely Manduang and Kampung Gelgel,” Ananda said. In response, the committee has prepared an extension scenario to attract public interest. The first extension runs from 28 July to 19 August 2026. If conditions remain unchanged, a second extension will be held from 3 to 17 September 2026. “The Village Consultative Body (BPD) and the local election committee must intensify persuasive approaches to potential community figures,” Ananda urged. If all stages proceed smoothly, the voting day for the 2026 Klungkung Simultaneous Village Head Election is confirmed for 18 October 2026.