Relatives and Officials Join Village Head Elections, What Can They Gain?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Several regions are set to hold Village Head Elections (Pilkades) in the near future, drawing attention to the names and familial relationships among candidates.

In Blitar, East Java, four couples are running in four different villages.

The four wives are candidates for village head, competing against their husbands who are the incumbent village heads.

In Wonogiri, Central Java, familial ties are significant in the Pilkades to be held simultaneously across 50 villages, with relationships ranging from husband and wife, parent and child, to uncle and nephew.

In Semarang, Central Java, the elections will feature the husband of the Deputy Regent, the Chairman of the General Election Commission (KPU), police officers, and honorary teachers.

Budget Control

Jojo noted that the appeal of the village head position cannot be separated from its various roles. A village head can control the village budget allocated from the central government's budget.

The budget for each village varies based on transfers from the central government.

In 2024, the total budget will reach IDR 71 trillion for 75,265 villages.

"In practice, village heads become central figures in its usage," Jojo said.

Dokumentasi pribadi Jojo Rohi

Similarly, Djohermansyah Djohan, a professor of government science from the Institute of Regional Autonomy (IPDN), stated that the attractiveness of the village head position lies in the combination of formal authority, social status, political influence, and opportunities to build networks of power that extend to the district level.

A village head is not merely an administrative officer dealing with letters of introduction, signing population documents, or overseeing village road construction.

According to Law No. 6 of 2014 on Villages, which has been amended by Law No. 3 of 2024, village heads are holders of village governance authority with powers in government administration, development, community development, and rural empowerment.

"With this position, village heads possess significant resources of power. They occupy the intersection between the state and the community, between government policies and citizens' needs, as well as between development interests and local political contests," Djohermansyah explained.

Read also: Here are 12 Requirements to Become a Village Head, Whose Term Should Not Be Limited