Prabowo Says He's Concerned Over Regional Leaders' Corruption Cases

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has expressed concern over the growing number of regional leaders implicated in corruption cases, saying the issue should become a serious consideration in shaping the country's long-term national development framework.The concern was conveyed by Ahmad Muzani, Speaker of Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), after meeting Prabowo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday, August 3.According to Muzani, the president raised the issue while discussing the State Policy Guidelines (PPHN), a proposed long-term national development blueprint intended to guide future administrations."President Prabowo is deeply concerned about the developments occurring in many regions. A significant number of regional heads have become entangled in corruption cases. He asked that this issue receive serious attention and careful consideration," Muzani told reporters after the meeting.Muzani, who also chairs the Honorary Council of the Gerindra Party, said Prabowo also questioned the current system of local democracy, particularly the high cost of regional elections."The president believes the current system of regional governance is carried out through a democratic process that is expensive, unique, and extremely exhausting," Muzani said.During the meeting, MPR leaders formally submitted the latest concept of the State Policy Guidelines to Prabowo. Muzani explained that the document, which existed only as a draft last year, has now been refined and presented to the president for further discussion."Today, we submitted the concept to the President of the Republic of Indonesia and discussed several aspects related to the State Policy Guidelines," he said.Muzani said Prabowo broadly supports the MPR's initiative to formulate the PPHN as a long-term national development roadmap that would extend beyond a single presidential term.According to him, the guidelines are intended to provide strategic direction across successive administrations rather than serve only one government."The president has left it to the MPR's constitutional mechanism to determine the State Policy Guidelines as a reference for future presidencies," Muzani said.He added that Prabowo welcomed the proposal and paid particular attention to several elements of the draft, including Indonesia's democratization process and the governance of regional administrations.Read: Thai PM to Prabowo: Our Military Respects YouClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News