Proposal to Extend Village Head Terms Without Elections Deemed a Threat to Democracy

The proposal to extend the term of office for village heads (kades) without undergoing village head elections (pilkades) is considered to have the potential to damage the democratic order at the local level. Such a policy is deemed to lack strong juridical, sociological, and philosophical foundations.

This was emphasised by Muhammad Khozin, a member of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the PKB Fraction, in response to the demands made by the Coordinator of Village Heads at the End of Their Term (AMJ), who met with the leadership of the DPR RI on Wednesday (9/9).

“Extending the term of village heads without an election could trigger dynamics at the village level. So far, periodic village head elections have served as the formal mechanism to accommodate the aspirations of the community in the village,” Khoithin told Media Indonesia on Sunday (13/9).

Khozin emphasised that the periodic change of leadership is the core essence of a democratic system that guarantees the voting rights of citizens. “A characteristic of democracy, among others, is elected leaders. Periodic village head elections are the essence of democracy at the village level,” he said.

He also dismissed the notion that budget efficiency could be used as a reason to delay or abolish the political contestation agenda at the village level. “What would happen if this forum for absorbing aspirations were abolished or delayed? This could set a bad precedent for democratisation in Indonesia,” said Khozin.

“Currently, there is no force majeure. Fiscal issues cannot be used as a reason to delay village head elections, let alone abolish them entirely,” he asserted.

Nevertheless, Parliament ensured that it would continue to accommodate and examine every input submitted by the group of village heads in accordance with applicable procedures. “As an aspiration, the DPR will review and study the proposal,” he added.

Previously, a group of village heads belonging to the Coordinator of Village Heads AMJ met with the Deputy Speaker of the DPR RI, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, to request that village heads whose terms have ended be directly appointed as Acting Village Heads (Pj Kades) without involving civil servants (ASN).

The Chairperson of the Village Heads AMJ, Jaro Muhadi, noted that approximately 36,000 village heads will see their terms expire between 2026 and 2029. He proposed cutting the village head election agenda to save regional finances.

“By extending the term of office for village heads, it will reduce the costs of organising village head elections, in line with current budget efficiency,” said Jaro.