The Bali General Election Commission (KPU) has officially announced the victory of Wayan Koster and Nyoman Giri Prasta in the 2024 Bali gubernatorial and vice-gubernatorial elections. The open plenary session took place on January 9, 2025, at the Trans Hotel Resort in Seminyak.
The Chairman of Bali KPU, I Dewa Gede Agung Lidartawan, declared that Koster-Giri had been elected as Governor and Deputy Governor of Bali for the 2025–2030 term. The Koster-Giri duo secured 61.46% of the total votes (1,413,604 votes), surpassing their opponents, Made Muliavan Arya (De Gadjah) and Putu Agus Suradnyana, who received 886,251 votes.
In his speech, Wayan Koster, accompanied by Nyoman Giri Prasta, expressed gratitude to the people of Bali who participated in the 2024 election.
“We both sincerely appreciate and thank the people of Bali for their trust. We also extend our gratitude to the Bali General Election Commission and all parties that ensured a safe and peaceful election. These results reflect the people’s conscious choice for Bali’s leadership over the next five years,” Koster stated.
Koster’s Future Plans for Bali
Ahead of the official inauguration scheduled for March 2025, Koster and Giri plan to develop priority programs for Bali.
“We will focus on action plans related to waste management, illegal villa regulations, tourist organization, traffic congestion reduction, infrastructure development, and Bali’s economic improvement,” Koster added.
The re-elected governor also emphasized that there will be no moratorium or restrictions on hotel and villa construction in Bali. Instead, Koster plans to issue a regional regulation (Perda) to manage new building developments.
“There is no need for a moratorium. What we need is strict control,” Koster stated after attending the plenary session.
He reassured that investors would still have opportunities to build hotels and villas in Bali, although he did not elaborate on the control mechanisms that would be outlined in the regional regulation. The decision aims to balance tourism growth with Bali’s environmental sustainability.
Wayan Koster’s Legacy Among Tourists and Expats
Wayan Koster is widely known for his strict policies on foreign tourists in Bali. During his previous tenure as governor, he proposed a tourist quota system in response to the increasing number of foreigners violating local rules.
One of the proposed quota systems required foreign visitors to register a year in advance before their planned trip to Bali and wait for their turn to enter.
Some of Wayan Koster’s Most Controversial Initiatives:
• Encouraging Balinese families to have four children (February 21, 2023)
“If everyone stops at two children, the names Ketut and Nyoman will disappear, right? We will lose this cultural element,” Koster argued.
• (Note: In Bali, children are traditionally named based on birth order—1st: Wayan, Putu, Luh, or Gede; 2nd: Made, Kadek, or Nengah; 3rd: Nyoman or Komang; 4th: Ketut.)
• Ban on hiking Bali’s mountains (May 31, 2023)
• The hiking ban was imposed after multiple cases of disrespectful behavior by tourists. Currently, foreigners can climb Bali’s mountains and volcanoes only with a licensed guide, and they must follow local dress codes and cultural etiquette.
• Ban on foreigners renting motorbikes (March 12, 2023)
• Koster proposed banning motorbike rentals for foreign tourists due to multiple traffic violations and accidents. Instead, he recommended using taxis and licensed transportation services for travel around the island.
• Visa ban for Russian and Ukrainian tourists (December 12, 2022)
• Koster proposed canceling visas on arrival (VoA) for Russian and Ukrainian tourists due to frequent violations of local laws by individuals from these countries.
• Recommendation to drink arak for health benefits (June 26, 2023)
• The governor encouraged Balinese people to drink arak (a traditional Balinese liquor) daily—morning and evening. Koster claimed that arak was beneficial for health and productivity.
Key Achievements of Wayan Koster’s First Term:
• Plastic ban
• Infrastructure improvements
• COVID-19 management
Despite his bold proposals, many of Koster’s initiatives remained as statements rather than actual policies. Whether his new term will bring tangible changes remains to be seen over the next five years.
Sources: beritasatu.com
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