"There are two reasons why I hope that the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) will accommodate these village heads' demands," deputy chairperson Ahmad Basarah said here on Tuesday.
He made the remarks while welcoming 200 delegates representing the Greater Malang village heads at Wisma Atlet, Jakarta, on Monday evening.
First, he said, a six-year term is not sufficient for village heads to develop their regions because the first two or three years of their term are often used to consolidate things.
"Second, post-COVID-19, the state budget for the election of village heads should be saved for development, not for the election of village heads," he added.
Speaking at the DPR building on Tuesday, he emphasized that he welcomed the aspirations of village heads throughout Greater Malang and Indonesia.
According to him, freedom of association, assembly, and expression of opinions, both orally and written, are guaranteed by the law.
"As long as their aspirations are conveyed constitutionally, smoothly, and peacefully," he added.
Moreover, Basarah said that the village heads’ demand for extending their term from six years to nine years is very relevant, considering that a village is the smallest administrative level in the Indonesian government system.
If the law is revised, the nine-year term can extend to a maximum of eighteen years in office if the village head is elected again for a second term.
In addition to the term extension, Basarah noted two other aspirations, the first one being that the 2024 Village Head Election be postponed because its implementation may interfere with the 2024 General Elections.
The second aspiration was related to increasing the budget for village development, especially for underdeveloped villages.
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Translator: Melalusa K, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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