Indonesian House Commission Awaits Leadership Approval for Election Law Talks

The Indonesian House of Representatives' Commission II is stalled in its efforts to formally discuss revisions to the Election Law. Chairman Rifqinizamy Karsayuda revealed that the DPR leadership has not yet granted permission to proceed with forming a working committee for the official deliberations. Karsayuda recounted asking the leadership in January 2026 about when the revision could begin, only to be told to "wait." He did not specify which leader gave this instruction. The current DPR leadership includes Chairwoman Puan Maharani and four deputy chairs from various parties. In the interim, Commission II has taken the initiative to gather input from experts and practitioners over the past two weeks. These discussions, though outside formal procedures, have resulted in a list of 28 issues, or DIM (Daftar Inventarisir Masalah), derived from expert feedback and 22 Constitutional Court decisions concerning the Election Law. Karsayuda emphasized that for politicians, the approval of their party's chairman is crucial before moving forward on legislative matters. He acknowledged that this reliance on party leadership directives, especially when facing delays from the DPR leadership, might not be ideal for institutionalizing political parties but stated it reflects the current reality.

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I asked the DPR leadership, whether the working committee is willing to be formed now or must we wait for a political moment and a legislative moment that we certainly obey the rules of order and the existing mechanisms in the DPR?