dynamics of village head election arrangements

Volume3SpecialIssue April2021JALREV3SpecialIssue2021 ISSNPrint:2654-9266HumanRights,ConstitutionalRights,Democracy ISSNOnline:2656-0461

96 http://ejurnal.ung.ac.id/index.php/jalrev/JALREV3SpecialIssue2021

DynamicsofVillageHeadElectionArrangements

FenceM.Wantu1

AbdulHamidTome2

1FacultyofLaw,UniversitasNegeriGorontalo,Indonesia.E-mail:[email protected],UniversitasNegeriGorontalo,Indonesia.E-mail:[email protected]

©2021– Wantu,F.M,&Tome,A.H.UnderthelicenseCCBY-SA4.0

ArticleInfo

Abstract

Keywords:Democracy;Regulation;ElectionofVillageHead.Howtocite(APACitationStyle):Wantu,F.M.,Tome,A.H.(2021).“DynamicsofVillageHeadSelectionArrangements”.JamburaLawReview.JALREV3SpecialIssue:96-116

Thisstudyaimstoanalyzethearrangementofvillageheadelectionsfromthebeginningofindependenceuntilnow.Themethodusedinthisstudyisthenormativelegalresearchmethodregardingprimaryandsecondarylegalmaterials.Thelegalmaterialsobtainedarethenanalyzeddescriptively.Theresultsshowedthatthearrangementoftheselectionofvillageheadshasitsdynamicsinlinewiththedevelopmentofthepoliticsofthelawofthestatethatoccurs.Theexistinglegal,politicalconditionsinfluencedeterminingtheconditionsforthecandidatesofvillageheads.Althoughithasbeenregulatedforalongtime,itturnsoutthatallexistinglawsandregulationshavenotmadearrangementsrelatedtotheprovisionsofthesupervisorymechanismandthemechanismofresolvingdisputesfortheselectionofvillageheads.RegulationoftheMinisterofHomeAffairsontheSelectionofVillageHeadsattachessupervisorydutiestotheregionalelectioncommittee.However,itdoes notmake arrangements for how the surveillance process should beconducted.Ontheonehand,intheregulation,itisexpresslymentionedtheexistenceofsupervisorsintheimplementationofvillageheadelections.Nevertheless,itdid not specify who the superintendent was. Similarly, the settlement ofdisputesfortheselectionofvillageheadsisleftentirelytotheRegent/Mayortodo so.Grantingauthority to theheadof the regioncanundermine thedemocraticprocessbuiltbythevillagethroughtheselectionofvillageheads.


1.Introduction

DiscussingIndonesiacannotbereleasedfromtheexistenceofthevillage.Thevillage

wasanearlyentityofthebirthofthecountry.Evenatthebeginningofthedraftingof

the state constitution, the 1945 Constitution, the nation's founders discussed the

existenceofthevillageanditspositioninthestategovernmentsystem.1 Beforethe

countrywasformed,thevillagehadbeenpresentinmanagingthelivesofitspeople.

When the state is associated as the largest organization in people's lives, then the

villageistheclosestorganizationinfulfillingpeople'slivessothattherecognitionand

respect for the existenceof the village in the constitution arenot unwarrantedbut

insteadhasmeaningasaformofstateresponsibilitytoprotecttherightsownedbythe

village.

InSanskrit,DesaorVillagecomesfromthewordswadesi,meaninganautonomousand

independentregion.2MashuriMaschab3,definesthevillageinthreeaspects,namely:

First, the sociological aspect. The sociological aspect emphasizes the village's

understandingofpeople'slives.Inthelifeofthevillagers,thepatternoflifeisrelatively

homogeneous, living in a particular area in a strong kinship with a low level of

education.Thesecond,theeconomicaspect.Effortstofulfilltheneedsofthevillage

communityaremoredependentonthenaturalresourcesaroundit.Insuchconditions,

villageswithabundantnaturalresourceswilllookmoreprosperousthanvillageswith

littleavailabilityofnaturalresources.Third,thepoliticalaspect.Politically,thelifeof

the villagers is defined as a powerful organization that organizes a system of self-

governmentorautonomy.Theuseofvillages in thispoliticalaspect isprecisely the

sameastheconstructionofvillageunderstandingmentionedinArticle1ofLawNo.6

1Ni’matulHuda. (2015). “HukumPemerintahanDesaDalamKonstitusi Indonesia SejakKemerdekaanHingga Era Reformasi”. Malang: Setara Press. p. 7-8. See also in Tome, Abdul Hamid. (2020).“MembumikanPancasila:UpayaPelembagaanNilaiPancasilaDalamKehidupanMasyarakatDesa”.JurnalAl-‘Adl,13(1):118-131.

2H.AtengSyafrudinandSuprinNa’a.(2010).RepublikDesa:PergulatanHukumTradisionaldanHukumModernDalamDesainOtonomiDesa.Bandung:PT.Alumni.p.2.

3MashuriMaschab.(2013).“PolitikPemerintahanDesadiIndonesia”.Yogyakarta:Polgov.p.1-2.


of2014onVillages(VillageLaw)whichstatesthatavillageisagroupofpeopleliving

inanareathathastheauthoritytomanageitsgovernmentindependentlybasedonthe

interestsofthecommunityandtraditionalrightsrecognizedbythestate.

As a government organization with the right to manage and run its government

independently, the village is led by a Village Head chosen through mechanisms

governedbyexistingregulations.BasedonthemandateoftheVillageLaw,cadresare

electedthroughadirectelectoralprocess,whichisconductedsimultaneouslyineach

region.AsexplainedbytheVillageLaw,effortstoconductsimultaneouselectionsare

intended to avoid negative things in their implementation. Unfortunately, the

explanationdoesnotelaborateonwhatnegativethingsaremeanttobeavoidedfrom

implementingtheselectionofvillageheads,accordingtoYasinetal.4Thatis,theDraft

LawonVillagesnevermakesarrangementsrelatedtosimultaneouselectoraldictum.

The inclusion of simultaneous election policiesmay be influenced by the design of

simultaneousregionalheadelectionsbecauseatthetimeofdiscussionofthebill,also

discussedtheBillonLocalGovernmentandtheBillonTheElectionofRegionalHeads.

The implementation of the elections is in linewith the concept of democracy. The

prerequisiteofacountrythatdeclaresitselfasademocraticstateischangingleaders

periodicallythroughtheelectoralprocess,bothatthecentralandlocallevels(village).

It must be recognized that village democracy can be measured from the selection

processofthevillageheadbuthowthepeoplearefullyinvolvedinorganizingvillage

government.Theselectionofvillagechiefsisonlyasmallpartofeffortstostrengthen

the democratization of the village. So the study in this article only focuses on the

dynamicsoforganizingtheselectionofvillageheads.

2.ProblemStatement

Currently,thefillingofvillageheadsisregulatedinsuchawaythroughtheVillageLaw

anditsderivativelegalproducts,whichmustbedonethroughseveralstages,namely:

thepreparationstage,thenominationstage,thevotingstage,andthedetermination

4MuhammadYasin,et.al. (2015).“AnotasiUndang-UndangNo.6Tahun2014tentangDesa”. Jakarta:PATTIRObekerjasamadenganTheAsiaFoundation.p.146.


stage.thequestionthatariseslater,howisthearrangementofelectionsinIndonesia

fromindependenceuntilnow?Thisquestionisessentialtoaskinordertotrackthe

legalhistoryofvillageheadelections.Soitcanbeknownthatthedesignoftheelection

thatoccurredinthepasttobejuxtaposedwiththecurrentconditions.

Thestudyoftheselectionofvillageheadshaspreviouslybeenconducted;oneofthe

studies that are almost the same as this article is the research conductedby Sekar

AnggunGadingPinilih.5TheobjectofthestudyconductedbyPinilihandthisarticle

havesimilarities,whichisthedifferenceistheresultofanalysisofLawNo.6of2014

onVillages,primarilyrelatedtotheimplementationofvillageheadelections.

3.Method

Normative legal research becomes an option in conducting studies on the focus of

studiesconducted.Theresearchconductedismorecenteredonthelegalaspects,with

historical,conceptual,andlegalapproaches.Thematerialsusedintheresearcharethe

primarylegalmaterialsbymakingeveryregulationrelatedtoVillageHeadelectiona

primaryreference.Inaddition,researchersalsousesecondarylegalmaterialsderived

from various references obtained both through books and scientific articles. The

availablecollectionoflegalmaterialsisprocessedandanalyzeddescriptively.

4.ElectionofVillageHeadofEarlyPeriodofIndependenceuntilOldOrder

The1945Constitution(beforetheamendment)isabasicrulemadebythefoundersof

thenationthatwillbeusedtoimplementthestate.Iftheconstructionisbuiltinthe

torsoofthe1945Constitution,therewillbenoarrangementsaboutthevillage.Article

18, as the basis of government regulation in the region, only does the division of

regional arrangements and the composition of the government. Nevertheless, the

existenceofthevillagecanbetracedintheExplanationofthe1945Constitution,which

mentionsthatthedivisionofregionsinIndonesiaasstatedinthearticle,namelylarge

5 Pinilih., Sekar Anggun Gading. (2016). “Laporan Penelitian Perkembangan Pegaturan, Hukum,PemilihanKepaladiIndonesia”.Semarang:FHUndip.


and small areas, then the village is in the composition of small areas that remain

recognizedforitsexistence.6

In order to implementArticle 18 of the 1945Constitution, LawNo. 1/1945on the

PositionoftheRegionalNationalCommitteewasissued.7AccordingtoBagirManan8,

Thatthislawofficiallyrevivedtheautonomousregionalgovernmentthatwaserased

during the Japaneseoccupation.This law is the firstnational legalproduct tomake

arrangements related to local government. The arrangements related to local

government in the KKND Law are straightforward because the arrangements are

general.Theexistenceofthevillageitselfcannotbefoundineverychapter.Becauseof

theabsenceofprovisionsthatspecificallyregulatethevillageinLawNo.1of1945,we

cannotfindhowtofillthevillagehead.

Theprocessoffillingthevillagehead,stipulatedlaterinLawNo.14of1946onChanges

inTheProcedureofSelectionofVillageHeads.Inthislaw,thearrangementofelections

isveryminimalist,consistingofonlytwochapters.Thislawwasmadeonlybymaking

changestovotingrights.AsstatedinArticle1paragraph(2),allresidentswhoare18

(eighteen)yearsoldormarriedhavetherighttovote.Thebirthofsuchconstruction

was due to the selection of village heads at the time of the Village Head Election

Ordinance(Stb.1907No.212),therighttovoteinelectionswasonlygiventospecific

groupsbasedontheirsocialstatus(intheformofwealth,positions,etc.).Thismeans

thatpublicparticipationdoesnotapply fully in theelectoralprocess.Thenatureof

democracygivesequalrightstoeveryoneingovernment,includingchoosingthehead

ofthevillage.AccordingtoGajong9thatparticipationisthedeterminantofthelifeof

6Theuseofthevillageasasmallareacanbeseeninsoepomo'sexplanationintheGrandMeetingonJuly15,1945attheSecondSessionofBPUPKI,seeinSaafroedinBahar,et.al(editor).(1995).“RisalahSidangBPUPKI-PPKI28Mei1945-22Agustus1945”.Jakarta:SekretariatNegaraRI.p.272.

7MahfudMD.(2010).“PolitikHukumdiIndonesia”.Jakarta:PT.RajaGrafindoPersada.p.100-101.8Ibid,p.1059Bulqiyah,Hasanul.,Muadi,Sholeh.,&Tawakkal,GeorgeTowarIkbal.(2019).“PemilihanKepalaDesadanPartisipasiMasyarakatMarjinal:StudiKasusdiPulauBawean,Indonesia”.JurnalWacanaPolitik,4(1),68-80.


thecountry.Throughthisparticipation,thepeopleusetheirpowertobeinvolvedin

thedecision-makingprocess,includingdecidingwhowillbechosentoleadit.

TherearerestrictionsonthesuffrageofthepeoplebytheDutchinordertocontrol

whom the village head is considered to be able to "synergize"with their interests.

AccordingtoMashuriMaschab,thevillagechiefwhodidnotfollowtheDutchwishes

willbegivensanctionsrangingfromdismissalfromofficeeventopunishmenttoother

family members. With this condition, the Dutch are freer to exploit the resources

ownedbythevillage.10

ThebirthofLawNo.14of1946seekstorestoretheconstitutionalrightofeverycitizen

to be involved in the electoral process; in this context is to choose the head of the

village.AlthoughLawNo.14of1946isonlylimitedtomakingchangestotherightto

vote,asstatedinStb1907No.212.However,theexistenceoftheregulationgivesequal

rightsforeachvillagerinexercisinghissuffragewithoutbeinglimitedbysocialstatus.

Unfortunately,thisregulationdoesnotprovidearrangementsfororganizingelections

thentheprocessiscarriedoutfollowingthepreviousconditions.

Twoyearslater,therewasachangeintheprocessoffillingthevillagehead.Thechange

canbe seen inLawNo.22/1948mentions that "TheHeadofVillageDistrict (small

town) is appointed by the Provincial Head of at least two and as many as four

candidatessubmittedbytheVillageRegionalPeople'sRepresentativeCouncil"(Article

18paragraph3).Basedonthisprovision,thereareatleast2(two)importantthings

thatneedtobeunderlined,namely:First,thevillageisqualifiedasa"smallarea/town."

LawNo.22/1948inprincipleregulatestheimplementationoflocalgovernment.These

lawsqualificationsthecompositionoftheregionsonthreelevels,namely:Provincial,

District(KotaBesar),andVillageAreas(SmallTowns). In thiscontext, thevillage is

placedastheminorgovernancestructureintheIndonesiansystemofgovernment.

Second,thevillageHead/VillageHeadfillingisdonethroughtheappointmentprocess

conducted by the Provincial Head instead of based on the selection mechanism.

10MashuriMaschab.(2013).“PolitikPemerintahanDesa.....”.Op.cit.p.35-68.


Nevertheless,beforetheProvincialHeadmadetheappointmentofthevillagehead,the

VillageRegionalPeople'sRepresentativeCouncilproposedaminimumof2peopleand

amaximumof4villageheadcandidates.

Sucharegulatorymodelhasnotfullyaccommodatedthedemocraticvaluesthatthe

villagehas.Beforeenactingthislaw,thecommunitychosethevillagehead,notthrough

theappointmentmechanism.Nevertheless,thislawbegantomakearrangementsfor

theselectionprocessofvillageheadsthathavenotbeenregulatedinLawNo.14/1946.

Inpractice,Law22/1948couldnotbefullyimplementedbecause,in1949,atransfer

ofpowerledtochangestothestateconstitution.In1949,theConstitutionoftheUnited

States of Indonesia was enacted, which replaced the 1945 Constitution. The RIS

constitution did not last long because it received a rejection from the Indonesian

nation.Soin1950,IndonesiaenactedtheProvisionalConstitutionof1950.

Atthetimeoftheenactmentofthe1950Constitution,law1theyear1957/Principal

OfLocalGovernment,astheimplementationofArticle131,Article132,andArticle133

oftheProvisionalConstitution1950.Thedistrictsintheimplementationofthislaw,

dividedinto3(three)arrangements,namelylevelI,levelII,andlevelIII.Eachofthese

arrangements is granted the right of autonomy in the implementation of local

governmentandrelatedtotheestablishmentoftheregionlevelIII,needtobecareful

because this area is the foundation of the organization of the state. In addition, its

existence is very diverse because it is inhabited by various groups of legal people,

makingtheprocessofitsformationcannotbedonewithjustoneform.11Nevertheless,

accordingtoPinilih(2016)12,LawNo.1/1957triestobridgetherecognitionofvillage

government intothevillagerecognizedasLevel IIIDistrict.Thecourseofdesapraja

(LevelIIIRegion)cannotberealizeduntiltheendofLawNo.1/1957.13

Iftraced,LawNo.1/1957hasmadearrangementsrelatedtothemechanismoffilling

thevillagehead(ifLevelIIIareacanberealized).Theprocedureoffillingthevillage

11Ni’matulHuda.(2015).“HukumPemerintahanDesa....”.Op.cit.p.127-128.12Pinilih,SekarAnggunGading.(2016).“LaporanPenelitianPerkembangan....”.Op.cit.p.24.13Ni’matulHuda.(2015).“HukumPemerintahanDesa....”.Op.cit.p.128.


headboth throughLawNo.22of1948andLawNo.1of1957stillhassimilarities,

namelythroughthemechanismofappointmentbythegovernmentcompositiononit.

Duetopoliticalupheavalthatoccurredduringtheenactmentofthe1950Constitution.

In 1959, the President issued a decree ordering that the 1945 Constitution be re-

enacted.Thebirthofthisdecreehasgivenbirthtoasignificantdevelopmentofstate

regulation.Sofurtherarrangementsareneededindealingwithit.Localgovernmentis

oneoftheessentialthingsthatthegovernmenttakesseriouslytobeorganized.The

Presidentthenissuedadecreenumbered6/1959.UnfortunatelyinthisPresidential

Regulationdidnotmakearrangementsrelatedtotheselectionprocessofthevillage

head.Therefore,themechanismoffillingthevillageheadstillreferstoLawNo.1/1957.

In1961,throughPresidentialDecreeNo.514of1961,thePresidentformedaspecial

teamgiventhetaskofconductingstudiesandstructuringlocalgovernment.Theteam,

betterknownastheSoerosoCommittee,gavebirthto2(two)legalproducts:First,Law

No. 18/1965 governing local government. This law divides regions into 3 (three)

levels:levelI,levelII,andlevelIII.Thevillagethatwillbedirectedtobeformedintoa

Level III Area should pay attention to the living conditions of the local community

(includingcustomarylawandtheoriginalarrangementofitslife)andtheconditions

ofsocioeconomiclifedevelopmentofthecommunity.

Accordingtothislaw,thereisadesiretomakethevillageintoaLevelIIIRegion,so

fillingthevillageheadaccordingto this lawiscarriedout throughtheappointment

mechanism.TheRegionalHeadoflevelcarriesouttheprocessofappointingthevillage

head.BasedontheapprovaloftheMinisterofTrade.Themechanismofappointment

of village heads, preceded by submissions made by the House of Representatives,

concerningthecandidatesoftheRegionalHeadoflevelIIIwhohavebeeneligible,a

minimumoftwopeople,andamaximumoffourcandidates.Ifthesubmittedcandidate

doesnotmeettherequirements,thentheRegionalHeadlevel.Askthelocalparliament

toreshuffletheothercandidatestoberepublished.Ifinthesecondsubmission,still,all

candidatesdonotmeettherequirements,theappointmentoftheRegionalHeadofTkt.

III iscarriedoutbytheMinisterofHomeAffairsbasedonhis/herrights(Article14

LawNumber18of1965concerningtheprinciplesoflocalgovernment.).


TheofficefortheRegionalHeadofLevelIIIisthesameastheappointmentmadetothe

RegionalRepresentativeCounciltoreappointtheRegionalHead.Inthenominationof

theRegionalHeadoflevelIII,severalrequirementsshouldbemetbyeachcandidate

(LawNo.18/1965)statedthat"TheRegionalHeadwhocanbeappointedmustbean

Indonesiancitizen.However,inaddition,theRegionalHeadmustmeettheconditions

containedinthestaffingregulations",mustalsomeetthefollowingrequirements:

1.Haveaspiritofunity,sincereandindependentorreferredtoasthesoulofthe

Proclamationof17August1945andnotagainsttheexistenceoftheIndonesian

revolutionitself;

2. Agree to the 1945 Constitution, know governing power (Political Ideology),

ManagedDemocracy (guided), Economyunder control (GuidedEconomyand

haveanIndonesianPersonalitythatagreesandparticipatesinprovidingviews

andobjectivestoacountrydated17augusts1959andalltheimplementationof

regulations.;

3.Theright tovote isnotbeingrevokedby theruleof thecourt thatcannotbe

contested;

4.Abletospeakandhaveanexperiencethatthereisaneedforworkingovernment.

5.Knowequivalenttojuniorhighschooloratleastelementaryschooleducation;

6.Maximumage30years.14

Thebirthoftherequirement"neverhostiletotheIndustrialRevolution"meantthat

the candidate for Regional Head of Level III never had any direct involvement in

helpingtheenemyofthestate.Thebirthofthisrequirementisbecauseeventhough

Indonesia has been independent, there are still groups that seek to undermine the

sovereigntyofacountryfrominternalandexternal.

Second.LawNo.19/1965concerningDesapraja.TheopinionofTheLiangGie15aims

to:

14Article15LawNumber18of1965concerningthePrincipalsofLocalGovernment15Ni’matulHuda.(2015).“HukumPemerintahanDesa....”.Op.cit.p.133.


1. The legislation concerning villages that are colonial in the composition of

delegationsofsociopoliticalpowerandhasbeenobsoletewasreplaced

2.Makenationallegislationthatprovidesguaranteestoadynamicruralsystemand

fullofgoodperformanceinordertobeabletocompleteademocraticnational

revolutionanddevelopmentparadigm;and

3.FortheestablishmentofLevelIIIareaaccordingtoLawNo.18/1965,theneedto

regulatelegalcommunityunityinallregionsofIndonesiatobecomeDesapraja.

According to the legislation,Desapraja is a "legal community unity that has certain

regionalboundaries,hastherighttotakecareofitsmotherland,choosetheheadof

stateandownproperty."

TobecometheHeadofDesapraja,itmustmeettherequirementsasstatedinLawNo.

19/1965thattheHeadofDesaprajaisthelocalpeople,providedthat:

1.Minimumageofatleast25years;

2.Haveaspiritofunity,sincereandindependence(SoulProclamation17August

1945)andnotbecomeanenemyof the struggle for Indonesian independence

itself.;

3. Agree to the 1945 Constitution, know governing power (Political Ideology),

Managed Democracy (guided), Economy under control (Guided Economy and

haveanIndonesianPersonalitythatagreesandparticipatesinprovidingviews

andobjectivestoacountrydated17august1959andalltheimplementationof

regulations;

4. The right to vote is not being revokedby the rule of the court that cannotbe

contested;

5.Abletotalkandhaveanexperiencethatthereisaneedforjobsingovernment.16

Iftherewaspreviouslyaprovision"neverhostiletotheIndonesianRevolution,"then

inthis law,there isnosuchprovision.Obediencetothestate is formulatedintothe

16Article10LawNumber18of1965concerningthePrincipalsofLocalGovernment


requirement "never hostile to the struggle for independence of The Republic of

Indonesia."

Furthermore,thosewhobecomecandidatesfortheHeadofDesaprajamustgothrough

theselectionprocessconducteddirectlybythelocalcommunity.Ingeneral,18years

oldorhave/havebeenmarriedand/orrecognizedlocalcustomsalreadyhavetheright

tovote.Furthermore,theHeadofLevelIIappointedtheHeadofDesaprajaatleasttwo

candidatesandthreecandidates.AftertheHeadofDesaprajaiselected,hewillserve

foreightyears.Thedemocraticspacegivesthevillageandthevillagersfullrightsin

choosinganddeterminingthefutureleader.

Thislawhasnotfullysetindetailtheconductoftheelection.Thereisnofindingof

arrangementswhenproblemsordisputesoccurinimplementingvillageheadelections

inthislaw.However,thislawhasadifferentiatorbetweenotherlawsandregulations.

Thedifferentiatorcanbe tracedto theexistenceofprecisearrangementsrelated to

villagearrangementsandthemechanismoffillingthevillagehead.Inpractice,thislaw

cannotbefullyimplemented,anditsexistenceisrevokedbyLawNo.6/1969withthe

provisionsoflawno.19/1965passedwhenthelegislationthatreplacesithascome

intoforce.

5.ElectionofVillageHeadsintheNewOrderEra

Village arrangements in this period are contained in Law No. 5/1979 on Local

Government.Thislaw,atthesametime,repealedLawNo.19/1965.Inthelegislation,

thatvillagecanbeinterpretedas"anumberofresidentswhooccupyanareaasaunit

of law including also in it is the unity of the legal community that has a group

(organization)ofdirectpowerunderthecamatandhastherighttocarryoutitsown

householdinthebondsoftheRepublicofIndonesia."

Aboutthemechanismofchoosingthevillagehead,itisstatedthateverylocalvillager

canrunforvillageheadontheconditionthat:

1.BelieveinGod;


2. Consistent with the pillars of a state ideology (Pancasila) and the 1945

Constitution;

3.Haveagood,fair,honest,authoritative,andintelligentnature;

4.DonotinterferedirectlyornotinactivitiesthatmingleintheUnitaryStateofthe

RepublicofIndonesiaasthebasisofPancasilaandthe1945Constitution,suchas

theSeptember30ThMovement/CommunistPartyofIndonesiaorothergroups

ofbannedorganizations;

5. The right to vote is not being revokedby the rule of the court that cannot be

contested;

6.Notundergoingconfinementbasedonadecisionthathasabsolutepower,because

thecriminalactsdecidedamaximumof5(five)years;

7.Alreadyaresidentofthevillageandhaslivedinthevillageforatleastthelast2

(two)yearsarenotdisconnected,exceptthatthesonofthevillageisoutsidethe

village.;

8.Minimumage25yearsoldandmaximum60yearsold;

9.Haveendurance,healthyphysicalandspiritual;

10. Minimum diploma of First-Level Secondary School or who has the same

knowledge/experience.17

Regardingtherequirementsofobediencetothestate,itisstillmaintainedinthislaw.

Thedifferenceliesintheexistenceofanomenclaturethatexpresslymentionsoneof

the evidence of obedience to the state is not involved in themovement known as

G30S/PKIorother illicitactivities.The inclusionof thisprovisionresulted fromthe

darkhistoryofthePKI,whichledtothemassacreofhigh-rankingIndonesianmilitary

officerson30September1965.

Furthermore,concerningtheselectionofvillageheadsconductedthroughtheselection

mechanismconductedbythelocalvillagers,prospectivevotersmustbe17yearsold

and/or have/have been married, as evidenced by a marriage certificate. This

arrangementalignswithLawNo.19/1965,whichrewardsresidents indetermining

theirleaderthroughtheelectoralprocess.TheRegent/Mayorthenappointstheelected

17Article4LawNumber5of1979ConcerningNationalLegalDevelopmentAgency


villageheadcandidateonbehalfoftheGovernorwiththeprovisionsofhis8-yearterm,

andtheprocedurecanbereappointedduringoneyearofhis/herterm.

ThesameasLawNo.19/1965,inLawNo.5/1979alsodoesnotmakearrangements

related to the mechanism of supervision and handling of disputes in the

implementationoftheVillagegeadelections,includinghowthecontrolprocessonthe

implementationofelections.AccordingtoHudathatelectionsinthisperiodgavebirth

tomuchcheating.Thefraudoccurredingeneralduetointerventionfromthepower

coming from outside the village. The government is involved in winning specific

candidates. This condition is very detrimental to the villagers. Because various

instrumentsusedbythegovernmentmustdefeatcandidateswhocanfightfortheir

aspirations.On theonehand, there isnospaceprovided in theexistingregulations

whensupervisionandresolutionofdisputesarisingfromtheelectionoutcome.

Not only weak in terms of arrangements related to the selection of village heads.

However,thislegislationalsorevokesthespiritofrights,authority(autonomy)inthe

village.Thenputthevillageasamediumusedbythegovernmenttocontrolpeople's

livesthroughthevillagehead.Thisconditionisthesameinthecolonialera,whichis

feudalistic.Suhartonotonlymonopolizedvillagelifebutalsostatelife.Thiscanbeseen

fromthesignificantinfluenceofSuhartooneverylineofstatelife.

5.ElectionofVillageHeadsintheReformera

Village-relatedarrangementsinthisperiod,carriedoutthroughLawNo.22/1999,Law

No.32/2004,andLawNo.6/2014.Theyear1999wasthebeginningofthereforms.

Thereformeramademanychangesintheconstitutionalsystem,includingreforming

theconstitution.Thearrangementofthevillage,whichwaspreviouslystipulatedinits

law,initscourseisthenunitedinthearrangementsrelatedtothelocalgovernment

was enacted in Law No. 22/1999. Consideration of the law's birth is to provide

flexibilityforregionsinIndonesiatoorganizeautonomyinmanagingtheirregions.The

provision of flexibility to organize regional autonomy is considered necessary to

improvedemocraticprinciples,societyparticipation,equity,andjustice,andsupervise

capabilitiesanddiversityinregionalareas.


Article 1 letter o Law No. 22/1999 defines the village as "the unity of the legal

communitythathasauthorityintheregulationandmanagementoftheinterestsofthe

localpeopleonthebasisoforiginandcustomsagreedonthecomponentsofnational

governmentandlocatedinthedistrict."

This lawmandates that the fillingof thevillageheadbedone through theselection

mechanism directly carried out by the villagers. Neither this law nor its derivative

rules, namely: Government Regulation No. 76 of 2001, has never qualified the age

requirementforresidentswhoexercisetheirvotingrights.However,inpractice,the

electionisconductedby17(seventeen)yearsoldand/orwhohas/havebeenmarried.

Theconditionsthatapersonmustmeetintherunningforvillageheadarevillagerswiththefollowingconditions:

1. BelieveinGod;2. Consistent with the pillars of a state ideology (Pancasila) and the 1945

Constitution;3. DonotinterferedirectlyornotinactivitiesthatmingleintheUnitaryStateof

theRepublicofIndonesiaasthebasisofPancasilaandthe1945Constitution,suchasthe30SeptemberMovement/CommunistPartyofIndonesiaorothergroupsofbannedorganizations;

4. Minimum diploma of First-Level Secondary School or who has the sameknowledge/experience.

5. Minimumage25years;6. Haveendurance,physicalandspiritualhealth;7. Hasnomentaldisorder/amnesia;8. Haveagood,fair,honest,authoritative,andintelligentnature;9. Not undergoing confinement based on a decision that has absolute power,

becausethecriminalactsdecidedamaximumof5(five)years;10. Therighttovoteisnotbeingrevokedbytheruleofthecourtthatcannotbe

contested;11. Knowtheconditionoftheareaandknownbythelocalvillagers12. Readytobenominatedvillageheadcandidates;and13. Meetallotherrequirementsbasedoncustomsfollowingtherulesinthelocal

government.

TheaboverequirementsarenotmuchlikethepreviousLaw(LawNo.5of1979).The

banonpeoplewhohadparticipatedintheG30S/PKImovementwasstillmaintained.

Supposethepreviouslawcontainstheprovisionthataprospectivevillageheadshould

havebeenaresidentandresidedinthevillageforatleasttwoyears.Inthatcase,the


termsoftheprospectivevillageheadaresufficienttoknowthevillagewhereheorshe

isrunning.

CandidatesforvillageheadswhoreceivedsuperiorvotesupportintheBPDwerethen

approvedorratifiedbythelocalgovernment,theRegent.Kadesservedfortenyears

or2(two)terms.Regardingthearrangementofthistermofofficeissubjecttoachange

fromthepreviouslaw,whichstatesthattheofficeoftheHeadofVillageforeightyears

canthenbere-electedagaininoneterm.

LawNo. 22/1999was replacedbyLawNo. 32/2004due toArticle 18of the1945

Constitutionin2000.TheselectionofvillageheadsaccordingtoLawNo.32/2004is

conductedthroughastraightforwardselectionprocessbythelocalcommunity,who

are17(seventeen)yearsoldorhavebeenmarried.

LawNo.32/2004delegatestherulesonprospectiveCadrestogovernmentregulations.

TherequirementstobecomeaVillageHeadare:

1. BelieveinGod;2. Consistent with the pillars of a state ideology (Pancasila) and the 1945

Constitution;andgovernment;3. Minimum diploma of First-Level Secondary School or who has the same

knowledge/experience;4. Minimumage25yearsold;5. ReadytobenominatedofVillagehead;6. Isalocalcitizen/resident;7. Not undergoing confinement based on a decision that has absolute power,

becausethecriminalactsdecidedamaximumof5(five)years;8. Theright tovote isnotbeingrevokedby theruleof thecourt thatcannotbe

contested;9. NotyetaKadesforamaximumof10yearsoreventwotermsofoffice;and10. Otherrequirementsoflocalregulationsaremet.18

Therequirementsofvillageheadcandidatesandtheselectionprocessofvillageheads,

as stated above, no longer give rise to a ban for village head candidates actively

involvedintheG30S/PKImovement.However,thetermsstillmaintaintheprovisions

on loyalty to thestate foreachprospectivevillagehead.The lossof theprohibition

provisionsforeveryoneinvolvedinthe30S/PKIMovementasaformofprotectionof

18Article44GovernmentRegulationnumber72of2005concerningVillage


everyone in human rights to channel their political rights as guaranteed by the

constitution.Oneof theconsistent figures in fighting for this isAbdurahmanWahid

(commonlycalledWahid).Duringhisreign,WahidhadwantedtoremoveTAPMPRS

No. XXV/MPRS/1966 related to the dissolution of the PKI and the declaration as a

bannedorganization,andabanonthespreadofcommunisminIndonesia.WhatWahid

did as a form of "breaking the violence of the past."19 Because after the 30S/PKI

Movement, the state through Suharto sentenced approximately 1million people to

supportthePKImovement.Thesentencingwasdismissedwithoutgoingthroughthe

judicialprocess.Notstoppingthere,thePKIwasidentifiedasapoliticalorganization

thatsoughttochangetheideologyandbasisofthestatesothattheirrightsneedtobe

restricted.Oneoftherestrictionsonthisrightcanbeseenfromtheprovisionof"not

involvedinthe30S/PKIMovement"aspartoftherequirementsofkadescandidatesin

LawNo.5/1979,whichthencontinuedtobemaintainedbyLawNo.22/1999.

In its development, the provision stating the terms "not involved in the 30S/PKI

Movement" slowly began to be eliminated on the basis that everyone had rights,

includingtherighttovoteandbeelected.Bybasingthisconsiderationofhumanrights,

the Constitutional Court, through its decision numbered 001-017/PUU-I/2003

nullifying Article 60 letter g of Law No. 12/2003 essentially contains the clause

"prospective legislators are not cadres of members of the Communist Party of

IndonesiaordonotinterfereintheG30S/PKI.Thecancellationoftheprovisionmakes

Article60letter(g)ofLawNo.12/2003thatdoesnothaveabindinglegalforce.Inthe

end,anyclauserelatingtotherestrictionofrightsforthosewhohadbeeninvolvedin

PKImovements,includingtheG30S/PKI,wasnolongeradeadpricetokeep.

Otherdifferences that canbe found inLawNo.22/1999andLawNo.32/2004are

relatedtothetenureofthevillagehead.IfinLawNo.22/1999thatthelengthofthe

19Akmaliah,Wahyudi.(2015).“IndonesiaYangDibayangkan:Peristiwa1965-1966danKemunculanEksilIndonesia.”JurnalMasyarakat&Budaya,17(1):65-76.


positionofKadesandtimeisgivenfor10(ten)Years.In-LawNo.32of2004,theterm

ofofficeofthevillageheadis6(six)yearsandcanbere-electedforonlyoneterm.

BothLawNo.22/1999andLawNo.32/2004donotmakearrangementsrelatedtothe

supervision of the implementation of Village head election and dispute resolution

mechanisms village head election. A new dispute resolution mechanism in PP No.

72/2005 concerning Villages is a regulation on the implementation of Law No.

32/2004. Nevertheless, the dispute resolutionmechanism is delegated to the local

governmenttoregulateitthroughlocalregulations.Thismeansthatthegovernment

issuesnostandardguidelinestoserveasthebasisforlocalgovernmentstodesigna

patternofdisputeresolutionarisingfromtheselectionprocessofvillageheads.Thus

the mechanism of settlement was carried out following the tastes of the local

government. It is a "weapon" for the head of the region to pass one of the parties

favored by the head of the region even though it is not the community's choice.

Likewise, itwillbeadisasterforcandidateswhoarenotaffiliatedwiththeregional

head.

In 2014 the rules on village arrangementswere separated from the rules on local

government.Sotherulesonvillageswereborn(LawNo.6of2014)andrulesonlocal

government(LawNo.23of2014).

Article31ofLawNo.6/2014mandatesthatvillageheadelectionsbecarriedoutjointly

in all districts/cities. Furthermore, related to the mechanism of Pilkades in the

provisions contained in this law began to be done rigidly. Furthermore, article 34

paragraph(3),whichliststhestagesofvillageheadelections,consistsofnomination,

voting,anddetermination.Thephasingoftheimplementationofthiselectionisthen

translatedintoArticle41paragraph(1)PP47/2015concerningAmendmentstoPP

No.43/2014concerningtherulesofImplementationofLawNo.6/2014,to4(four)

stages each: preparation stage, stage, nomination voting stage, and determination

stage.

IfreadingtherequirementsofprospectiveCadres,whichiscontainedinArticle33of

LawNo.6/2014,doesnotdiffermuchfromtherequirementsinPPNo.72/2005,which


is a derivative of LawNo. 32/2004. If in PPNo. 72/2005 one of the conditions as

Cakades is native to the local village, then Law No. 6/2014 changed with the

prospectivevillageheadbeingaresidentandresiding in thevillage forat leastone

year.Theinclusionoftheminimumlimitasalocalvillagerwaslaterannulledbythe

ConstitutionalCourtthrougharulingnumbered128/PUU-XIII/2015.

Althoughtheprocessofselectingthevillageheadhasbeenarrangedinsuchaway,the

legislator and its derivative regulations are missed in setting the supervisory

mechanismandthemechanismofresolvingthedisputeofthevillageheadelection.

First,thesurveillancemechanism.BothLawNo.6of2014anditsderivativerulesdo

notmakearrangementsrelatedtothesupervisionmechanismoftheimplementation

ofelectionsandwhoshouldbethesupervisorinimplementingvillageheadelections.

IfyoulookagainatArticle38paragraph(2)oftheRegulationoftheMinisterofHome

AffairsNo.112/2014concerningtheSelectionofVillageHeadsmentionedthat:"the

agendaofthecommitteeasstatedinparagraph(1)thatcanattendi.e.witnessesfrom

the candidates themselves, the Village Consultative Agency, supervisors and the

community,"Intheconstructionofthearticleveryclearlymentionstheexistenceof

supervisors in the implementation of village head elections. Ironically, it is not

mentionedwhoisreferredtoasthesupervisorinthearticle.Becauseit isnotclear

whoisreferredtoasthesupervisorinthearticle,itischallengingtofindarrangements

relatedtomonitoringtheselectionofvillageheads.Ontheotherhand,theMinisterof

homeaffairsregulationattachedthesupervisorydutiestotheselectioncommitteeof

the village head at the regional level. However, it did not elaborate on how itwas

processed.

According toYuningsihandSubekti20, theselectionofvillageheadscannotonlybe

understoodasanefforttogivebirthtotheleaderofthepeople'schoice.However,it

also concerns the pride and honor of the prospective village head. Thismakes the

20Yuningsih,NenengYuni.,&Subekti,ValinaSingka.(2016).“DemokrasiDalamPemilihanKepalaDesa?StudiKasusDenganTipologiTradisional,Transisional,danModerndiProvinsiJawaBaratTahun2008-2013”.JurnalPolitik,1(2):231-261.


villageheaduseallmeanstowinthisprocession,resultinginconflictatthecommunity

level.

So inevitably, an institution is required that is given a particular task to carry out

supervision in the process of implementation. The supervisor of the village head

electioncannotbeattachedtotheelectioncommittee.Therewillbeamonopolyof

authorityintheimplementationofvillageheadelectionsiftheimplementationofall

stagesisdominatedonlybythecommittee.

Second,themechanismofhandlingvillageheadelectionsproblem.LawNo.6/2014

mandatesthattheRegent/mayorresolvethedisputekades30daysatthemaximum

at the time of receipt of the results of the village head elections. The granting of

authoritytohandlevillageheadelectionsproblemsbytheRegent/Mayormakesthe

role of regional heads very vital. This can cause a conflict of interest because the

regional head has political calculations inmaintaining his position in the following

regionalheadelection.Undeniably,headofvillageisacentralpersoninthelivesofthe

peopleinthevillage.UntiltheVillageheadhastheexpertisetomobilizethecommunity

to drop his choice in the regional head election event, in such circumstances, a

reciprocalrelationshipbetweentheregionalheadandVillageheadcandidateswillbe

decidedonthePilkadesdisputewheretheregionalheadhastheauthoritytoresolve

it.

Government Regulation No. 47 of 2015 mandates the subsequent arrangement of

implementing village head elections rules through local regulations. One of the

expectedpoints tobe regulated in the regional regulations is handling villagehead

elections.However,thefinaldecisionisontheregionalhead(seeArticle37paragraph

(6)ofLawNo.6of2014).

The regulatory model related to handling village head elections should not be

authorizedtodecidethedispute.Anewmechanismisneededinresolvingdisputesfor

theselectionofvillageheads,namelytheestablishmentofparticularinstitutionsthat

areadhoc.Thechoiceofanadhocinstitutionisbasedonthereasonthatapermanent

dispute resolution institution is, in principle, a judicial institution that has the


constitutional authority to adjudicate and resolve disputes that are repeated in

differentcases.Inaddition,theestablishmentofapermanentinstitutionwillrequirea

largebudgetandresources.Therefore,thiscriterionlimitstheinstitutionofresolving

disputesofvillageheadsthatarepermanentandonlyadhoc.However,insupporting

theimplementationofdutiesandauthoritiesinresolvinganydisputessubmitted,this

institution needs to be equipped with instructions for resolving disputes on the

selectionofvillageheadsorcanbecalledbythelawofhandlingtheissueofVillage

HeadElections.

Theseparationofauthorityforthesettlementofdisputesvillageheadelections,which

wasinitiallyinthehandsoftheregionalheadtotheparticularinstitutionasaformof

applicationoftheprinciplesofthestateoflawanddemocracythatultimatelyprovides

guarantees against the protection of constitutional rights for each candidate of the

villageheadwhoiscontesting.

6.Conclusion

The arrangementof the selectionof villageheadshas its dynamics in linewith the

politicaldynamicsofthestate'slawsinthecountry.Wecanseethelegislationatany

period. There is a measure of loyalty to the country by stating a clause on "not

obstructing the IndonesianRevolution." In itsdevelopment, theprovisionwas later

omittedandreplacedwiththeprovision"notinvolvedwithpkiactivitiesanditsmass

organizations including not being involved in the 30S/PKI Movement". This

requirementwas later eliminated, but the conditions related to loyalty to the state

were carried out universally, namely "Consistent with the pillars of state ideology

(Pancasila) and the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of Indonesia and bhineka

TunggalIka".

All the rules concerning village head elections, both from the beginning of

independence to the present, have not made rigid arrangements related to the

monitoringmechanismandresolvingdisputesofvillageheads.Therefore,changesto

thecurrentregulationsareneededtoimprovethequalityoftheselectionresultsofthe

villagehead.


Acknowledgement

OurthankstoLPPMUNGforallowingustodothisresearch.Thisresearchispartof

thenextstageofresearch,whichwilldesignthesupervisorymechanismanddispute

resolutionmechanismofvillageheadelection.

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LawsGovernmentRegulationnumber72of2005concerningVillage

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dynamics of village head election arrangements

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