Jakarta: The government is urging lawmakers to maintain an extended tenure of a maximum of 18 years for elected village heads across multiple elections, according to Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian on Monday.

This maximum tenure can be distributed as two terms of nine years each or three terms of six years each, Tito said. Another option under consideration is an 8-year term with the possibility of one reelection.

"The government is open to suggestions on this matter, and we will decide on the best option during our discussions," Tito said during a hearing with the House of Representatives’ Legislation Committee at the parliament building in Central Jakarta.

However, the government expresses a preference for a six-year term, allowing the elected village head to seek reelection twice, Tito added.

The ongoing hearing addresses revisions to the existing law on the rural governance system, which currently limits the village head's term to six years but permits them to serve for three terms.

The government's proposal aims to maintain the existing provision, despite protests from thousands of village heads who rallied at the parliament building on January 31, demanding an extension of the tenure to nine years for three terms, totaling 27 years with reelections.

Conversely, private citizens have filed a motion with the Constitutional Court to limit the village head’s term to five years with one chance for reelection. The motion argues for conformity with the terms of the president, governors, mayors, and regents to ensure a smooth transition of power from the central government to the rural level. This also aligns with the common practice of state-owned enterprises and government agencies, which adopt a five-year tenure for their top executives.

Rural governance in Indonesia is historically unique, with village heads holding elected positions long before the country adopted direct elections for the president, governors, regents, and mayors in 2004. Notably, village head candidacy doesn't require endorsement from political parties, and ballots often feature images of agricultural products like rice, corn, or cassava.

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