Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto swore in 961 regional heads at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, marking a major transition in local leadership across Indonesia.

The inauguration ceremony began with Prabowo leading the oath of office, in which the newly elected officials pledged to uphold the constitution and serve the nation with integrity. The officials sworn in included 33 governors and their deputies, 363 regents and 362 vice regents, as well as 85 mayors and their deputies.

Of the 505 newly elected regional heads, 481 took the oath in Thursday’s mass inauguration. However, 22 out of 24 regional leaders in Aceh were not sworn in simultaneously, while Bangka Regency and Pangkalpinang City will hold repeat elections after "empty ballot box" victories.

To ensure security, the government deployed 2,802 military and police personnel around the palace, while the public was advised to avoid the area to prevent traffic congestion.

Following their inauguration, the regional heads will attend a seven-day military-style leadership retreat at the Magelang Military Academy from February 21-28. The program mirrors a similar retreat held for Prabowo’s cabinet ministers in October, where he emphasized teamwork and alignment with his vision. However, officials involved in ongoing election disputes will be excluded from the program.

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