PDIP Rejects Minister's Proposal on Parliamentary Threshold in Election Bill

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) faction in the House of Representatives has firmly rejected a proposal from Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Prisons, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, regarding the parliamentary threshold in the upcoming Election Bill. Minister Mahendra suggested aligning the threshold with the number of commissions in the DPR, which currently stands at 13. However, PDIP, through its faction member Said Abdullah, argues this would severely compromise the principle of representation, as it would not guarantee adequate representation for all parties in crucial decision-making processes.

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Karena kalau hanya komisi saja, kemudian satu orang, maka representasi keterwakilannya itu tidak akan terpenuhi.

PDIP's stance, as articulated by Said Abdullah, is that a minimum of 38 seats per faction is ideal, a figure derived from doubling the number of existing working bodies (AKD), which include 13 commissions and six other bodies. This proposal aims to ensure that smaller parties or those with fewer votes are not disenfranchised and that the voices of the electorate are adequately reflected in the legislative body. The current Election Law stipulates a 4 percent threshold, a figure that the Constitutional Court has called for a review.

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Dulu, seingat saya, saya pernah menyampaikan, yang ideal itu jumlah komisi plus AKD ada 6, itu artinya 19 kali 2, 38 kursi. Itulah jumlah minimal.

Minister Mahendra's proposal also included provisions for parties failing to meet the 13-commission threshold to form joint factions or merge with larger ones, aiming to prevent wasted votes. He emphasized the need for revisions to the law governing the MPR, DPR, DPD, and DPRD (MD3 Law) to solidify the agreed-upon threshold. From our perspective at CNN Indonesia, while the intention to prevent wasted votes is understandable, PDIP's emphasis on robust representation highlights a core democratic principle that must be upheld. The debate underscores the complex balancing act in Indonesian electoral politics between ensuring broad representation and maintaining legislative efficiency.

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Karena enggak mampu satu orang di satu komisi itu tidak punya kemampuan. Minimal dua orang satu komisi, dua orang di AKD, itu baru make sense.