The Civil Society Coalition for the Codification of the Election Law\nurges the DPR and President Prabowo Subianto to immediately commence and\nprioritise discussions on revising Law Number 7 of 2017 on General\nElections (Election Law). Researcher from the Centre for Indonesian Law\nand Policy Studies (PSHK) Muhammad Nur Ramadhan stated that the\ncoalition is requesting the DPR, as the proposer of the Bill, to\npromptly finalise the academic paper and draft amendments to the\nElection Law. \u201cAnd to publish it so that stakeholders and the public can\nprovide input on the clear reference,\u201d he said in the coalition\u2019s\nstatement at the STH Jentera Campus in South Jakarta on Thursday, 9\nApril 2026.<\/p>\n
Ramadhan said that the Election Law has yet to be addressed by the\nDPR alongside the President. This delay is considered an unjustifiable\nlegislative stagnation. The urgency of updating electoral regulations\nhas been repeatedly voiced in various post-2024 election evaluation\nforums.<\/p>\n
According to Ramadhan, the delay indicates an institutional\ncommitment deficit towards strengthening substantive electoral\ndemocracy. The delay also signals weak political will among\nlawmakers.<\/p>\n
The coalition suspects intentional efforts by the DPR and the\nPresident to maintain the status quo of existing regulations. The\ncoalition views this situation as reflecting a lack of seriousness in\nsubstantively reforming the democratic system.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this context, the delay is no longer neutral but potentially a\npolitical strategy to preserve a power configuration that benefits\ncertain actors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ramadhan stated that the delay in discussing the Election Bill\nimpacts the threat of authoritarianism. Non-democratic elections can\nbecome tools to strengthen authoritarian power rather than consolidating\ndemocracy. \u201cTherefore, this legislative stagnation can be read as part\nof structural issues in Indonesia\u2019s democratisation commitment,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The coalition notes that the poor quality of election administration\ncannot be separated from problems in the selection process design, from\ndetermining selection teams to the fit and proper test by the DPR. Poor\nselection processes directly impact the capacity, integrity, and\nindependence of election organising bodies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn such conditions, maintaining the same regulatory framework\nwithout improvements will only increase the likelihood of repeating\nsimilar problems,\u201d Ramadhan said.<\/p>\n
In a hearing with Commission II of the DPR on Tuesday, 10 March,\nformer Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Mohammad\nMahfud Mahmodin proposed accelerating the revision of the Election Law,\nconsidering the approaching election timeline.<\/p>\n
He cited the experience of the 2024 Election. At that time, the\nGeneral Elections Commission (KPU) opened party participant\nregistrations in June or even earlier.<\/p>\n
Another consideration for completing the revision of the Election Law\nat the latest two years before implementation or by 2027 is that\nregulation preparation cannot be done hastily. According to Mahfud, it\ncould cause legal issues, including lawsuits in the Constitutional\nCourt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I think it\u2019s true that the Regional Election Law and the\nElection Law must be revised and completed as soon as possible,\u201d said\nthe former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.<\/p>\n
DPR Speaker Puan Maharani said that all party factions in the DPR,\ntogether with the government, both formally and informally, continue to\ndiscuss revisions to the Election Law to find the best formulation for\nimplementation in the 2029 Election. \u201cHowever, with the current\ngeopolitical situation, we are not yet thinking about politics in 2029,\u201d\nPuan said at the DPR, MPR, and DPR Complex on Thursday, 12 March\n2026.<\/p>\n
She said that the DPR and government are currently more focused on\nhelping grassroots issues, including synergising to create regulations\nbased on public interests.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/coalition-urges-dpr-and-president-to-promptly-discuss-revision-of-election-law-1775793047", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }