TULUNGAGUNG – Tulungagung Pilkades 2027 will require a massive budget, with authorities estimating costs between Rp 40 billion and Rp 50 billion for the simultaneous village elections. The large-scale democratic exercise will involve hundreds of villages across the regency.
Hari Prastijo, acting head of the Tulungagung Community and Village Empowerment Agency (DPMD), said 243 out of 257 villages will take part. The government plans the elections as many village head terms are nearing their end.
“The 2027 Pilkades will take place because the terms of hundreds of village heads have ended,” he said.
Despite the preparations, regulatory uncertainty remains a major challenge. The central government has yet to issue a formal regulation to serve as the legal basis for simultaneous village elections.
“We have consulted the Home Affairs Ministry and the local council, but there is still no clear regulation,” Hari explained.
To address this, Tulungagung officials have looked at other regions for guidance. The DPMD recently conducted a comparative study in Sukabumi Regency, where 139 villages successfully held simultaneous elections under a regional regulation.
“In Sukabumi, the elections were carried out using a local bylaw as the legal basis. This serves as a reference for us,” he said.
In terms of budget, Tulungagung expects higher costs due to the larger scale. Sukabumi spent around Rp 36 billion for 139 villages. By comparison, Tulungagung will need up to Rp 50 billion for 243 villages.
DPMD has started coordinating with Bappeda and BPKAD to prepare funding. “We are coordinating so we can secure the budget early,” Hari said.
At the same time, officials have begun technical preparations. They are mapping the end of village head terms and drafting implementation plans. These steps aim to ensure a smooth process.
The government has set a tentative timeline. Authorities plan to hold the elections in August or September 2027. “We aim to carry out the elections between August and September 2027,” Hari confirmed.