# Prabowo inaugurates 961 regional heads in first mass swearing-in at palace

*Event date: 2025-02-20*

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated 961 elected regional leaders on 2025-02-20 in Jakarta, bringing governors, regents, mayors and their deputies together in a single palace ceremony.

The event was notable not only for its size but for its format. Tempo reported that this was the first inauguration of regional heads to be held simultaneously at the Presidential Palace. The swearing-in gathered 33 governors and 33 vice governors, 363 regents, 362 deputy regents, 85 mayors and 85 deputy mayors, underscoring the scale of Indonesia’s decentralized local government system.

Prabowo asked the assembled officials whether they were willing to take the oath according to their faith, and they answered in unison. He then directed them to repeat the oath of office, which committed them to carrying out their duties fairly, upholding the 1945 Constitution and faithfully implementing laws and regulations. The wording placed public service and constitutional duty at the center of the ceremony.

The inauguration matters because it marks the start of local administrations across a large and politically important country. Regional leaders in Indonesia wield real influence over public services, local budgets and relations with the central government. By taking the oath together in the capital, they were brought into office under a highly visible national framework.

Tempo said the new heads had first gathered at the National Monument before entering the palace in formation with the Gita Praja IPDN Drum Band. That detail adds to the sense that the inauguration was designed as both a formal transfer of authority and a public show of administrative unity.

The event also signals Prabowo’s effort to set expectations early in his presidency. His remarks, as reported by Tempo, emphasized obedience to the constitution and dedication to the people, the nation and the country. That language suggests the administration wants local officials to see themselves not just as winners of local contests, but as officers in a broader national project.

Tempo identified the event as a new chapter in the governance of regional government in Indonesia. Whether that proves true will depend on how these newly inaugurated officials operate in the months ahead, but the ceremony itself already stands out as a rare attempt to synchronize local executive authority in one place and at one time.

Claim-to-source map

  • Prabowo inaugurated 961 regional heads in Jakarta on 2025-02-20: Tempo (3601)
  • The total included 33 governors, 33 vice governors, 363 regents, 362 deputy regents, 85 mayors and 85 deputy mayors: Tempo (3601)
  • Tempo said this was the first simultaneous regional-head inauguration at the Presidential Palace: Tempo (3601)
  • The oath and procession details, including the National Monument and Gita Praja IPDN Drum Band, came from Tempo: Tempo (3601)