REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia held simultaneous local elections for the first time, Wednesday (9/12). Vice President Jusuf Kalla expected the local elections would run well without conflict.
"I hope this will be a good part that democracy in Indonesia can be maintained and run well," said the Vice President, when opening the Election Visit Program for Head of Regional Election 2015, at the Vice Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (8/12).
Kalla in front of election observers said, he had also experienced become election observers in a number of countries, one in Azerbaijan. According to the Vice President, democracy in Indonesia was an option.
"Although democratic system was not perfect, it was better than authoritarian," he added.
Read: Government oversees local elections in six provinces
In history of Indonesia, democracy with direct election has been going on since 50 years ago, but political system in Indonesia was changed. However, one of instruments of democracy was election.
On development, the elections in Indonesia were conducted in three levels, namely level of central government, province, and city, which was done openly in 500 more cities. Initially, there were elections in every two weeks, so that the task of General Election Commission (KPU) became very heavy.
"For efficiency, the regents and the governor election is only done twice in five years. This is called simultaneous local election," he explained.