3 months ago
105
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto plans to gather elected regional heads to attend a briefing or retreat. Yusril said the briefing will resemble the retreat of the Red and White cabinet in Magelang, Central Java, October 24-27, 2024.
"All regional heads will be gathered so that we have the same perception of the problems faced by the government," said Yusril at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Friday, January 10, 2025.
Yusril said there needs to be synchronization between central and regional policies. It is hoped that regional governments will also implement central government programs. The retreat schedule depends on the inauguration schedule of elected regional heads. The government is currently discussing the inauguration schedule for elected regional heads who are not disputed at the Constitutional Court (MK).
Prabowo's plan to hold a retreat for elected regional heads has received responses from various groups. Some support the idea, while others disagree.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad: Aligning Vision with the Central Government
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad assessed that the plan for the retreat of elected regional heads from the 2024 Pilkada by President Prabowo was to align the vision of regional heads with the central government. The retreat was carried out to properly disseminate programs initiated by the central government so that they would run successfully in the regions.
"What I heard is that there is indeed a plan like that. Of course, the idea is to align the vision of the newly elected regional heads, how to run central government programs evenly for the good of the people in the regions," he said at the parliament complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta, Monday, January 13, 2025, as quoted by Antara.
He assessed that the retreat of elected regional heads who came from various backgrounds was also intended to maintain the spirit of unity and togetherness in advancing Indonesia.
"I think this spirit, the spirit of togetherness, the spirit of unity, we all know that the elected regional heads certainly come from different parties so that they need to be (gathered) in one activity that I heard conveyed the vision-mission and spirit of unity," he said.
DPD Chair Sultan Najamuddin: We Want Retreats to Become a Routine National Tradition
Chair of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia, Sultan Najamuddin, welcomed the plan to hold a retreat for regional heads throughout Indonesia initiated by President Prabowo. He even said that this agenda could be made a routine tradition for every elected regional head in the future.
"We want retreats to become a national tradition that is routinely held for every citizen who is entrusted as a state official and regional head," he said in a written statement received by Tempo on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
He said that the activity was important to unite the same vision and mission between the central and regional governments, including overseeing the central government's strategic programs in the regions. Moreover, not all of the elected regional heads came from political parties supporting Prabowo.
"The nationalism agenda must not be hindered by political colors and motives," he said.
However, the Sultan also reminded that this activity should not be misused to create a centralization of power. Indonesia has known a system of division of power between the central and regional governments through regional autonomy.
"Hopefully the regional head retreat will not be interpreted as an attempt to centralize the power of the central government amid the discourse on implementing regional elections through the DPRD," said Sultan.
YLBHI Chair Muhammad Isnur: Regional Head Retreat Shows Thick Militarism in Prabowo's Government
The Chair of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Muhammad Isnur assessed that the retreat for regional heads increasingly shows the thick militarism in Prabowo's government. Rather than equipping regional heads by attending a retreat at the Military Academy, Prabowo can test their sense of nationalism and alignment of vision by directly monitoring the work of regional heads in the field.
"Don't let it be that because of their military background, everything must be carried out in a military style too," said Isnur when contacted, Monday.
Constitutional Law Expert, Herdiansyah Hamzah: Aligning Vision and Mission Doesn't Need to be with a Retreat
A lecturer in Constitutional Law from Mulawarman University, Herdiansyah Hamzah, agrees with Isnur. He said that Prabowo's plan to hold a retreat for regional heads increasingly shows the thick military nuances in the government.
Moreover, he said, the retreat activities carried out by Prabowo previously with the Red and White Cabinet tended to prioritize the physical aspect, rather than thinking about equipping his staff. "This is also not an obligation to do," Herdiansyah said.
Instead of aligning the vision and mission, Herdiansyah assessed that the retreat activity for regional heads was Prabowo's attempt to subdue regional leaders in his government. Moreover, not all elected regional heads come from the same coalition as Prabowo.
In fact, according to him, to align the vision and mission, there is no need for a retreat. This is because the authority between the central and regional governments already has its own regulations.
Hendrik Yaputra, Andi Adam Faturahman, Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Vendro Immanuel G, and Antara contributed to the writing of this article.
Editor’s Choice: CSIS Expects Surprises in Prabowo's Foreign Policy
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
