REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo is confident that the 2018 simultaneous regional head elections will run safely. He said Indonesia has had experience in holding general elections.

"I am sure it will be safe as we have the experience so far such as in 1955, when the elections saw more than 100 electoral contestants and the process was safe. There are only 14 electoral contestants so that I believe it will be safe," the minister said during the National Leadership Meeting (Rapimnas) in Jakarta on Monday.

He said his ministry is still waiting for a decision on the fate of the PBB (crescent and star) party, PKPI party and Partai Idaman Party who have filed their objections to The Elections Supervisory Baord (Bawaslu) after they failed selection by the General Election Committee (KPU).

Tjahjo said that this is a consolidation phase that must be answered in building an effective presidential government, besides the management of more effective and efficient local and central government relations.

According to him, the peak of consolidation in 2018 is in July-August when political parties prepare candidates for regional house of representatives (DPRD) and House of Representatives (DPR).

Meanwhile, for the simultaneous regional head election 2018, the Minister of Home Affairs invited all candidates which will compete in concepts and ideas to speed up development in their respective regions.

"The opponents of the campaign say hatred, racial intolerance and slander, to build dignified elections," Tjahjo said.

Seeing the heat of governor election in Jakarta in 2017 which remained to run smoothly during the vote casting, he is optimistic simultaneous regional head elections 2018 will also be peaceful and safe.

He also hopes that the participation of the people in using his voice in 2018 elections will increase to 78 percent.

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