By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, 20 Feb (Bernama) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday appointed 961 regional leaders in a historic ceremony, with all of them taking the oath simultaneously at the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta.
The inauguration ceremony, involving governors, regents (bupati), and mayors (wali kota), was preceded by a procession from the National Monument area to the palace complex, with participants dressed in white uniforms and marching in formation.
They underwent two days of training with the Indonesian police before the ceremony and will attend an eight-day retreat at the Magelang Military Academy, organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"I believe this is the first historic moment in our country. We have appointed 33 governors, 33 deputy governors, 363 regents, 362 deputy regents, 85 mayors, and 85 deputy mayors simultaneously from 481 districts,” Prabowo said in his speech at the Merdeka Palace.
Prabowo also advised the regional leaders to honour the people's mandate and urged them to advocate for the well-being of their respective communities.
“You are the people's servants; you must defend and protect their interests and strive to improve their lives," he emphasised.
All those appointed are winners of the Regional Leader Elections (Pilkada), which were held simultaneously across the republic on Nov 27, 2024.
-- BERNAMA
