Indonesia
Elected regional heads attend the inauguration ceremony at the Presidential Palace complex in Central Jakarta on Feb. 20, 2025. President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated 961 regional heads consisting of 33 governors and 33 deputy governors, 363 regents, 362 deputy regents, 85 mayors and 85 deputy mayors in the ceremony. (Antara Foto/Aditya Pradana Putra)
A proposal to stop directly electing deputy regional heads has gained traction in the House of Representatives, with lawmakers arguing that the current system often produces dysfunctional partnerships and unnecessary political and administrative costs.The proposal came up during a meeting between the House Commission II overseeing home affairs and the Home Ministry on July 30, when lawmakers broadly discussed regional governance and the remuneration of regional leadership.
Commission II member Muhammad Khozin of the National Awakening Party (PKB) brought up the recurring “disharmony between elected regional heads and their deputies” as an issue needed solving. He suggested that the two positions no longer be elected as a pair. Instead, voters would elect only governors, mayors and regents, who would subsequently appoint a deputy.
