January 15, 2026 | 03:03 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - IN speeches rolling out the idea of electing regional heads through regional legislative councils (DPRDs), President Prabowo Subianto repeatedly invokes the high cost of direct elections. For that reason, he said, politics should not be dominated by those with deep pockets.
For Prabowo, indirect elections, or elections conducted through the DPRDs, offer a solution to the high cost of organizing general elections. "Once we have elected the regency and provincial DPRD, why not let them elect the regent and governor? Done," Prabowo said at Golkar Party's anniversary celebration in Jakarta on Friday, December 5, 2025.
Politicians who have won regional office acknowledge the steep cost of running. Yogyakarta Mayor Hasto Wardoyo claimed he spent less than Rps billion (about US$300,ooo) in the 2024 regional head election. "Other candidates could spend more than that," said the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- P) politician.
According to Hasto, the largest share of spending went to field campaigning. For logistics and poll watchers, he benefited from party contributions through PDI-P's National Election Witness Agency.
Hasto, who served as Regent of Kulon Progo from 2011 to 2019, believes regional elections could be cheaper if candidates refrain from vote-buying during campaigns and on voting day. "The biggest component usually comes from money politics,"said the former Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency.
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