TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo summoned all of the spokesmen for his national campaign team in the 2019 Presidential Election on Thursday, January 28, 2021.

One of the spokesmen, a United Development Party politician Arsul Sani, said via his Instagram that the meeting that took place at the Jakarta Presidential Palace discussed a number of issues, from Covid-19 vaccination to the upcoming regional elections or Pilkada.

Through a short message, Arsul explained that the President asked all political forces, especially the political parties in the House of Representatives, to fully consider the revision of the Pilkada Law. Previously, the bill was agreed to be included in the 2021 National Legislation Program.

A debate about the schedule of the regional head elections was taking place among political parties. In the draft bill, the election was proposed to be held in 2022 and 2023, following a five-year cycle after the last regional election was held on 2017 and 2018, while the simultaneous election would be in 2027.

Meanwhile, the Pilkada Law No. 10/2016 noted that the schedule should be in 2024, the same year for the implementation of the legislative and presidential elections.

The President, Arsul added, highlighted potential tensions that may be caused by the political events that would disrupt the recovery of the national economy and public health in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"So the point is that President Jokowi asks [the draft revision] to be studied thoroughly under consideration of various interests, of course, the interests of the nation and the state, as well as the benefits and disadvantages," said Arsul.

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI