REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANTUL -- President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has stated that Indonesian village heads are not the lowest leaders but forefront leaders.

"Apdesi (association of All-Indonesia village administration) should no longer use the term "lowest leaders". Instead, it should use forefront leaders (to refer to village heads)," the President remarked, when opening a national working meeting and seminar of the association at the Jogja Expo Center (JEC) on Monday.

Village heads are forefront leaders like the president, governors, district heads and mayors in the country, he reiterated.

"The difference is that the president can be elected twice for five-year term of office each, while village heads can be elected three times for six-year term of office each," he pointed out.

The President further recalled his experience when he, along with a number of ministers, visited a village and met with local residents. He observed that the life of the villagers including their houses, school and health facilities.

"I came to the conclusion that if the nation wants to make progress, not only provinces, districts and municipalities but also sub-districts and villages must make progress," he emphasized.

The meeting and seminar themed "From Villages for Indonesia?, brings together nearly three thousand participants from the central and provincial executive boards of the association from all over Indonesia and village heads from Yogyakarta and Central Java provinces.

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