TEMPO.CO, Bogor - People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Zulkifli Hasan, advised President Joko Widodo to amend the Regional Elections (pilkada) law instead of issuing a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to respond to the single candidate issue that has occurred in several electoral regions.
"Amend the law first. I think there's still enough time," said Zulkifli on Wednesday, August 5, 2015.
According to Zulkifli, the success of the Regional Election is the responsibility of political parties. Zulkifli added that even if the Regional Election must be delayed, the president cannot be held responsible. Zulkifli said that a Perppu should only be issued in urgent circumstances.
MPR deputy speaker Oesman Sapta Odang expressed his concern that several electoral regions had only one candidate pair for the upcoming regional election. On the contrary to Zulkifli, Oesman urged that the Regional Election must be carried out on schedule.
The General Elections Commission has closed the registration process for regional head candidates last Monday, August 3, 2015. Based on KPU Regulation No. 12/2015, there must be at least two candidate pairs competing in the election. If the requirement is not met, the Regional Election for 2015 will be postponed until the next one takes place, which is in 2017.
FAIZ NASHRILLAH
