JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – The General Election Commission (KPU) has suggested the central government to reschedule the implementation of simultaneous regional elections to 2016 due to several factors, including the preparation of the election organizer.

The KPU earlier hold a joint meeting with the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) and the Election Organizers Ethics Council (DKPP) on Tuesday (Dec. 23).

KPU Commissioner Ida Budhiati explained that the government regulation in lieu of law (or known as the direct regional election Perpu) No. 1/2014 ordered the KPU to hold the first stage of simultaneous regional elections in 2015 and the second stage in 2018.

Ida, however, said that accordance to suggestion from several observers, it is better that if the government rescheduled the first stage of simultaneous regional elections into 2016 and the second stage in 2017.

The new schedule, should be approved, according to Ida, will make KPU to have better preparation.

As reported earlier, a total of 204 regional elections have been scheduled to be held simultaneously in 8 provinces, 170 regencies, and 26 municipalities. (haryantosuharman@yosefardi.com)