Yerica Lai, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo says he is preparing to appoint four interim governors from a pool of high-ranking officials for Central Java, West Java, Bali and North Sumatra, which will be vacant from the end of September this year until the regional elections on Nov. 27, 2024.
The five-year terms of Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, who have ranked in opinion surveys among the top three potential candidates for president and vice president, respectively, will end in September, as will the terms of Bali Governor I Wayan Koster and North Sumatra Edy Rahmayadi.
"There are still two months [until] September. [...] We have prepared their replacements," Jokowi said in a statement on Wednesday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Each potential replacement will be vetted by an assessment team led by the President and several Cabinet ministers, such as Home Minister Tito Karnavian, but the President has the final say in appointing the interim governors.
"Every [candidate] will be screened by the team. There is a selection process. I will take part on the team," Jokowi said. He added that the preliminary stage of reviewing the officials' administrative qualifications was currently underway.
Under the 2016 Regional Elections Law, the government has the authority to appoint high-ranking state officials, such as secretaries-general, directors general and inspectors general, as interim governors until a governor is formally elected at next year's election of regional heads.
More than 100 regional leadership posts including the Jakarta governorship were left vacant last year.
This year, 154 mayoral and regent posts and 17 gubernatorial posts are to become vacant, including the governorships of the most populous provinces of West Java and Central Java in September, and the East Java governorship in December.