Jakarta Governor to Be Appointed by President in DKJ Bill Sparks Criticism

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) member from the PDIP faction, Masinton Pasaribu, criticized the bill on the special status of Jakarta (DKJ bill), which stipulates that the city governor and deputy governor will be appointed by the president after the capital city is moved to the new capital of Nusantara or IKN.

On Tuesday’s plenary session at the Parliament Building, the House passed the DKJ Bill as its initiative proposal. DKJ or Jakarta Special City will be the new name of Jakarta after it loses the capital status. The new Jakarta was expected to be an economic center.

Article 10 of the DKJ Bill states that the appointment, promotion, and dismissal of the DKJ governor and deputy governor is the authority of the president, which is different from the current system where they are elected by the people. 

“When the capital is still in Jakarta, the governor and deputy governor are directly elected by the people despite the complexity of Jakarta as the center of government, business center, economic center,” Masinton told Tempo on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

He said it would be odd that if the capital city including the center of government was moved to IKN in East Kalimantan, then the DKJ governor and deputy governor would be appointed by the president. 

The PDIP politician also pointed out that the mechanism, conditions, and qualifications for the appointment of the DKJ governors and deputy governors are not described in the bill but instead in a Government Regulation, which means that it will become the sole authority of the government.

Masinton also expressed his surprise that his colleagues in the House’s Legislative Body or Baleg proposed such a bill and drafted the policy. “What's strange is that the proposal came from the DPR,” he said.

MUTIA YUANTISYA

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