Governance of Acting Regional Heads and Its Implications for National Resilience
Abstract
Purpose: This research describes how much the selection of acting regional heads by the central government does not run as per the constitutional principles, local democracy and national resilience which are through the Asta Gatra framework but more politically captured by offering a model of governance that is more accountable and participatory.
Study Design/Methodology/Approach: Normative legal method with narrative review and comparative analyses of legislation, Constitutional Court decisions, and national and international academic literature to map the correlation between legal legitimacy, institutional design and regional government stability the research applies a normative legal method combined with a narrative review and comparative analyses of legislation, Constitutional Court decisions, and national and international academic literature in order to map the correlation between legal legitimacy, institutional design, and regional government stability.
Findings: The findings reveal that the higher-level leadership appointment system has substantial regulatory vacancies, especially in terms of authority restriction, legislative supervision, selection transparency and performance responsibility. These contradictions are affecting the political, governance and social aspects of Asta Gatra so that it can drain the drain the power of regional legitimacy and institutional resilience. Country illustrations, like in Germany, India, and South Africa, show that support for interim leadership is normally subject to legislative endorsement and public scrutiny, with terms of office limited to democratic insurance coverage.
Originality/Value: This conceptual contribution is presented to the development of an institutional design for regional leadership transitions that is more democratic and adaptive to national resilience needs. Recommendations focus on regulatory reform, involvement of the Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD), and strengthening public evaluation to ensure the appointment of Acting Regional Heads aligns with substantive democratic principles and strengthens regional autonomy.
References
Bakri, M. S. (2023). Authority Of The Executive Board in Appointing Acting Substitutes For Regional Heads in A Presidential Government System According to The 1945 Constitution of The Republic Of Indonesia. Jolastic: Journal of Law & Social Politic, 01(2), 140–160. https://doi.org/10.46799/jlsp.v1i2.13
Bedner, A., & Vel, J. (2021). Legal Education in Indonesia. The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies, 1(1).
Beetham, D. (2013). The Legitimation of Power. Bloomsbury Publishing. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=yCRHEAAAQBAJ
Cheema, G. S., & Rondinelli, D. A. (2007). Decentralizing Governance: Emerging Concepts and Practices. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=cZgeUT4DSfUC
De Fina, A., & Johnstone, B. (2015). Discourse analysis and narrative. In The handbook of discourse analysis (pp. 152–167). Wiley Online Library.
Farhani, A. (2022). Aspects of Democratic Constitutionalism In The Appointment of Acting Regional Heads. Indonesian Constitutional Law Journal, 6(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.15408/siclj.v6i1.28467
Greffrath, W., Waldt, G. Van Der, & Waldt, V. Der. (2016). Section 139 interventions in South African local government , (Issue March 1998, pp. 1–17).
Laksana, D. (2022). Absence of performance evaluation in acting appointments: Issues of policy accountability. Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan Indonesia, 5(2), 133–148. https://journal.unpad.ac.id/jipi/article/view/4532
Landman, T. (2003). Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=_HTKzLbpFhAC
Mahkamah Konstitusi Republik Indonesia. (2014). Ikhtisar Putusan Putusan Perkara Nomor 128/PUU-XII Tentang Pengujian Formil dan Materil Peraturan Pemerintah Pengganti Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2014 Tentang Pemilihan Gubernur, Bupati, dan Walikota (Issue November, pp. 11–12).
Mahkamah Konstitusi Republik Indonesia. (2022). Ikhtisar Putusan Perkara Nomor 67/PUU-XX/2022 Tentang Ketentuan dan Lembaga Pemberi Jaminan Produk Halal (pp. 1–5).
Maziyah, D. S., Kusumo, H. H., Mabrury, A. P., & Normasari, R. D. (2024). Implementation of Good Governance In The Appointment Of Regional Acting Heads. Santhet: Jurnal Sejarah, Pendidikan Dan Humaniora, 8(2), 1301–1309. https://doi.org/10.36526/js.v3i2.4109
Peters, B. G. (2018). The politics of bureaucracy: An introduction to comparative public administration. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315813653
Prakasa, S. U. W., Asis, & Sahid, M. M. (2022). Reduce Corruption in Public Procurement: The Effort Towards Good Governance. Bestuur, 10(1), 33–42.
R.Z. Panca Putra S, I, G., Solihin, D., S, T., H.P, A., Dj, T., & Santoso, S. (2024). Reaktualisasi Ketahanan Nasional : Sebuah Kajian Sejarah Dan Konseptual. Jurnal Lemhannas RI (JLRI), 12(1), 65–80. https://doi.org/10.55960/jlri.v12i1.558
Rahmazani, R. (2023). The Problems of Appointment Acting Officer of Regional Head in the Transition Period Before the Election of 2024: Problematika Pengisian Jabatan Penjabat Kepala Daerah di Masa Transisi Pra Pilkada 2024. Jurnal Konstitusi, 20(2), 196–215.
Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia 1945, 35 (1945). https://www.mkri.id/public/content/infoumum/regulation/pdf/UUD45 ASLI.pdf
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 22 Tentang Pemerintah Daerah, 1 (1999).
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 32 Tentang Pemerintah Daerah, 1 (2004).
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 23 Tentang Pemerintah Daerah, 1 (2014). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/38685/uu-no-23-tahun-2014
Peraturan Menteri Dalam Negeri Nomor 4 Tentang Penjabat Gubernur, Penjabat Bupati, dan Penjabat Walikota, 1 (2023).
Riadhussyah, M., Farhan, Hamdani, F., & Kusuma, L. A. N. (2022). The Dignity of Democracy in the Appointment of Acting Regional Heads by the President: Legal Construction After the Constitutional Court Decision Number 15/PUU-XX/2022. Jurnal Jurisprudence, 12(1), 106–119. https://doi.org/10.23917/jurisprudence.v12i1.1044
Strauss, Anselm; Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of Qualitative Research. https://doi.org/10.5072/genderopen-develop-7
Sugiharta, I. R., & Fitri, I. C. (2024). Kontroversi Pengisian Kekosongan Jabatan Gubernur dalam Perspektif Demokrasi di Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Law and Justice, 1(4), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.47134/ijlj.v1i4.2260
Syam, F., Helmi, H., Nuriyatman, E., Rahardja, I. F., & Saputra, B. (2024). Why Should the Role of the House of Representatives in Monitoring and Review Local Regulations Be Strengthened? Journal of Indonesian Legal Studies, 9(1), 417–456. https://doi.org/10.15294/jils.vol9i1.4578
Taufiqurrahman. (2024). Konstitusionalitas Peraturan Menteri Dalam Negeri : Studi Terhadap Peraturan Menteri Dalam Negeri Nomor 4 Tahun 2023 Tentang Penjabat Gubernur , Penjabat Bupati , Dan Penjabat Wali Kota Taufiqurrahman Magister Hukum Fakultas Hukum , Universitas Islam Indo. Lex Renaissance, 9(September 2023), 85–107. https://doi.org/10.20885/JLR.vol9.iss1.art5
Thomas, D. R. (2006). A General Inductive Approach for Analyzing Qualitative Evaluation Data. American Journal of Evaluation, 27(2), 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214005283748
Widad, Z. (2024). Parameter Demokrasi dalam Penunjukan penjabat Kepala Daerah. The Indonesian Journal of Law and Justice, 1(4), 88–109.
Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (applied social research methods). Sage publications Thousand Oaks, CA.
Zalukhu, A. L., Simamora, J., & Siregar, H. (2025). Juridical Analysis of the Appointment of Acting Officials in the Simultaneous Regional Elections in 2024 and It ’ s Implications for the Principles of Democracy in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Law and Justice, 2(3), 1–12.
Copyright (c) 2025 Irmanjaya Thaher, isnaini isnaini

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.