Wayan Koster Wins Second Term As Governor Of Bali

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The province has spoken; Wayan Koster has won a second term as Governor of Bali and will be supported by his Deputy, Nyoman Giri Prasta, over the course of his new term.

The vote, which took place on the 27th of November, saw Koster and Prasta take home a notable majority.

While final votes are still being counted, the closing result shows a 61% vote share majority to Koster and Prasta, with over 1.2 million votes.

Speaking minutes after the projected win was confirmed, Koster told reporters, “Although not yet 100 percent (victory), it is estimated that it will increase and the data tends to be stable, and I agree with the supporting parties to convey this temporary data.”

He added, “We hope that the Balinese people remain conducive. We also ask the parties and sympathizing cadres to respond to this achievement politely and culturally, not to be arrogant, proud, or partying.”

“It is better to be grateful to temples, mosques, churches, monasteries to express gratitude.” 

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Koster expressed his gratitude for his opponent, Made Muliawan Arya, known often by his nickname De Gajah.

He told reporters, “Of course, I would like to thank my good friend Made Muliawan Arya; we have been friends for a long time.” 

Arya spoke to reporters shortly after the loss was projected; he explained: “We guarantee that there will be no friction in social media or on land; we guarantee that, and as we promised, the struggle is struggle, meaning that the will of the people is the mandate of the people and nature has indeed chosen him.”

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He promised to hold the new governorship to account, explaining to reporters, “Of course, whatever is in their program is pro-people we will follow, but if it is not pro-people, we will be a good opposition; if it is pro-people, we will be leading the comrades.”

While generally pro-tourism, Governor Koster has previously spoken about ways in which to manage tourism and its pitfalls in new ways.

During his last term as governor, he tables several bold and contentious policy ideas, including implementing tourism quotas and limiting the number of tourists permitted entry to the province every year. While this policy did not come into effect during his first term, he introduced the Bali Tourism Tax Levy.

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The policy has made it a legal requirement for tourists to pay an IDR 150,000 fee before they depart the island.

Introduced in February 2024, the tax was due to be spent on preserving culture, nurturing nature, and improving tourism infrastructure across the state, though no budget has been published outlining exactly how funds will be spent as of yet.

The vote also saw a new regent elected across the province. Newly elected Regent of Badung, I Wayan Adi Arnawa, who secured a landslide victory, told reporters, “We express our deepest gratitude to all the people of Badung, who have given us their trust through the 70.19 percent vote acquisition.”

He added, “This figure of 70.19 percent is already extraordinary. I also appreciate the high participation of the Badung community; this must be maintained. Because this shows the public’s awareness of democracy.”

Regent Arnawa will play a pivotal role in the future of tourism in the years to come, as Badung Regency is home to Bali’s biggest tourism resorts, including Canggu, Seminyak, Legian, Kuta, Uluwatu, Jimbaran and Nusa Dua. 

Regent Arnawa called for the public to remain calm and grounded while final and official results are confirmed by the authorities, noting, “We hope that the condition of the community remains conducive because, after all, we as a tourism area must still be well maintained.”

“Don’t let the euphoria of the election be used as an excuse for unwanted things.” 

There have been no security updates for tourists in Bali regarding the election, and while security teams may be more visible in the coming days, the political activity is not expected to have any impact on tourist safety or movement around the island.