New Bill could strip Jakartans of right to elect their governor

JAKARTA: A Bill under discussion in the House of Representatives that seeks to provide a legal framework for Jakarta's position when it loses its capital status next year has sparked concerns over a provision that could strip the city’s 10 million residents of their right to elect a governor.

With August of next year as the government’s deadline for moving the national capital to Nusantara in East Kalimantan, the House is working on the Jakarta special designation bill to replace the 2007 Jakarta Capital Law while maintaining the 500-year-old city as the country’s economic centre by upholding its designation as an autonomous province.