The House of Representatives Legislative Body (Baleg) has agreed on the revision of the Village Law. In a plenary meeting, the Baleg approved 19 points of changes in the draft of the Second Amendment to Law No. 6 of 2014 on Villages.

The main clause to be revised is the extension of the village chief's term from six to nine years. At the same time, the House of Representatives (DPR) also requested an increase in the allocation of village funds by 20 percent of the total regional transfer funds.

This revision of the Village Law, discussed eight months before the 2024 elections, indicates that political parties are trying to secure their respective voter bases at the village level.

Reek of clientelism politics

The political undertones of this revision are evident in the rushed process of amending the Village Law. The National Legislation Program for this year did not mention any plans for revision.

However, the condition suddenly changed after hundreds of village chiefs staged a demonstration in front of the Parliament Complex in January 2023.

The DPR justified the urgent need for the revision of the Village Law, citing the Constitutional Court's order. Ironically, the DPR itself often disregards the decisions of the Constitutional Court. Therefore, the their readiness to prepare the revision of the Village Law raises many questions.

The rush and inconsistency of the DPR's stance are believed to be closely related to the phenomenon of clientelism in Indonesian politics. This phenomenon becomes more apparent during election period. The open electoral democracy practices that emerged after the reform era have led to clientelist political mobilization, and this relationship is reciprocal.

A political candidate must establish connections with support providers at the grassroots level, such as traditional leaders, village chiefs, and community figures, to obtain and maintain support from below.

Moreover, clientelist practices is the main trigger of money politics and political thuggery. Clientelism is prone to corruption as it emphasizes the exchange of resources in buying voters' support. Political candidates provide money, while local leaders provide political support in the form of voters' support.

No urgent reason for revision

On paper, there is no urgent reason to revise the Village Law. A six-year term for village chiefs in one period is more than sufficient. The term of village chiefs is even longer than that of the president, regional heads, or leaders of various state institutions.

The rationale for extending the village chief's term to prevent conflicts after the election is also incorrect. In fact, conflicts are more likely to occur if the village chief's term is prolonged.

Extending the village chief's term will also make them more susceptible to abuse of power and corruption. According to data from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), there were 676 village officials involved in corruption cases during the 2015-2020 period.

Shockingly, the number increased by 363 people in 2021 alone who were implicated in corruption cases. The desire to increase the allocation of village funds is also misplaced.

There is no guarantee that a larger allocation of village funds will genuinely enhance village empowerment unless it is solely for the benefit of the 2024 elections.