House COVID-19 Task Force visited the Ministry of Home Affairs to carry out thorough check and hold in-depth discussion in relation to the ministry’s readiness as the latter was scheduled to meet Regional Governments for coordination of holding simultaneous regional elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sumi Dasco Ahmad, the Coordinator of the House Task Force, said that the visit aimed at finding out the ministry’s preparation of the new normal. The meeting also specifically discussed health protocols applied in the simultaneous regional elections. After the meeting with Tito Karnavian, the Minister of Home Affairs and staff, Dasco expressed his deep appreciation for the measures taken by the ministry in the planning and the future implementation of regional elections amid COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We are having this roadshow to seek information on what the Ministry of Home Affairs has done to coordinate with regional governments, both at provincial and districts/cities level on matters related to COVID-19 handling and the implementation of the new normal. We also discussed several other things, including the issues of regional elections with adherence to the health protocol during COVID-19 pandemic,” explained Dasco in a press conference after the meeting in the office of Ministry of Home Affairs, in Jakarta, Thursday (28/5/2020). 

The holding of simultaneous general elections scheduled on 9 December 2020 was also the specific issue raised in the meeting. According to Dasco, more thorough preparation was required, especially on the enforcement of the health protocol. After listening to the minister’s presentation, Dasco extended his appreciation for the measures the ministry had taken with regard to the readiness in handling COVID-19 pandemic and the holding of the simultaneous regional elections next December. 

The Legislator from Banten Province said that the Ministry of Home Affairs had done much in helping mitigate COVID-19 and it is worthy of appreciation. “We highly appreciate the ministry for its hard work in handling COVID-19, both in the planning and the implementation in the future.” said the politician from Gerindra Party.  

On that occasion, the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian also appreciated the works of the legislative institution in battling COVID-19 saying that good cooperation between executive and legislative was the key to success in relief efforts. “This is an extraordinary crisis. However, we have been helped much by the House as it has formed the House Task Force that operates within its scope of duties and authorities as our supervisor,” concluded Karnavian in the press conference.