Debate regarding the size of the parliamentary threshold for\nlegislative elections is ongoing. Several major parties that have\nentered the House of Representatives reject setting a low threshold.\nMeanwhile, non-parliamentary parties want the threshold not to be too\nhigh, with some supporting its abolition.<\/p>\n
The debate on the parliamentary threshold stems from the\nConstitutional Court\u2019s decision in Case Number 116\/PUU-XVIII\/2023, which\neliminated the 4 percent parliamentary threshold provision in the\nElection Law. In its legal considerations, the Constitutional Court\ndeemed the provision inconsistent with the principles of popular\nsovereignty, electoral justice, and legal certainty guaranteed by the\nconstitution.<\/p>\n
Currently, the House of Representatives is discussing revisions to\nthe General Election Law. Here are some ideas emerging from various\npolitical parties:<\/p>\n
Golkar Proposes Parliamentary Threshold of 4-6 Percent<\/p>\n
The Golkar Party proposes that the parliamentary threshold for DPR\nlegislative elections be in the range of 4 to 6 percent. Deputy General\nChairman of the Golkar Party, Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung, said that this\nfigure is considered an equilibrium point in evaluating the electoral\nsystem. \u201cA parliamentary threshold of 4-6 percent is ideal,\u201d Doli said\nwhen contacted on Wednesday, 22 April 2026.<\/p>\n
Previously, Golkar Party Secretary General Muhammad Sarmuji also\nproposed a parliamentary threshold of 5 percent. According to him, this\nfigure is a combination of parliamentary and faction thresholds. \u201cA 5\npercent figure can create a simple multi-party system,\u201d Sarmuji said via\nWhatsApp message on Saturday, 28 February 2026.<\/p>\n
NasDem Proposes 4-6 Percent<\/p>\n
NasDem Party politician Muhammad Rifqinizamy Karyasuda, who is also\nChairman of Commission II of the DPR, proposes raising the parliamentary\nthreshold for the 2029 Elections from 4 to 7 percent. NasDem believes\nthis increase will have positive impacts. For example, he said,\npolitical parties will automatically be forced to improve themselves and\nstrengthen their structures to gain votes in every contestation.<\/p>\n
He understands that the parliamentary threshold causes millions of\nvotes to be wasted due to candidates or parties that fail to pass.\nHowever, abolition is also not the answer. \u201cThe parliamentary threshold\nis still needed; it is a necessity to institutionalise political\nparties,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
People\u2019s Movement Party<\/p>\n
As a new party, the People\u2019s Movement Party pushes for the\nparliamentary threshold in upcoming general elections to be reduced to\nzero percent. General Chairman of the People\u2019s Movement Party, Sahrin\nHamid, believes that the implementation of the threshold so far has\nprevented people\u2019s votes from being converted.<\/p>\n
However, according to Sahrin, once the people\u2019s right to vote has\nbeen exercised, there should be no reason for those votes not to be\naccumulated. \u201cTherefore, after the presidential threshold of 0 percent,\nwe also push for a parliamentary threshold of 0 percent,\u201d he said at the\nparty\u2019s central board office in South Jakarta on Friday, 27 February\n2026.<\/p>\n
Labour Party<\/p>\n
President of the Labour Party, Said Iqbal, said that raising the\nthreshold above 4 percent must be rejected because it is not in line\nwith what the constitution has desired through the Constitutional\nCourt\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
He said the Constitutional Court\u2019s ruling mandates that lawmakers\nregulate the parliamentary threshold again, by lowering rather than\nraising it. \u201cIf it is raised above 4, that violates morality,\nrationality, and is intolerant,\u201d Said stated in a written statement on\nThursday, 26 February 2026.<\/p>\n
PPP<\/p>\n
Being outside the House of Representatives, the United Development\nParty (PPP) proposes that the parliamentary threshold for the 2029\ngeneral elections be abolished or set lower than previously applied. PPP\npolitician Usman Muhammad Tokan, alias Donnie Tokan, said his party\nhopes the threshold will be below 4 percent or a maximum of 3\npercent.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it can\u2019t be 0 percent, a maximum of 3 percent is already good\nenough. So that votes are not wasted,\u201d Donnie said via WhatsApp message\non Thursday, 26 February 2026.<\/p>\n
PKS<\/p>\n
The Prosperous Justice Party does not want any changes to the\nparliamentary threshold. PKS Secretary General Muhammad Kholid believes\nthat a 4 percent threshold is sufficient, so there is no need to propose\nan increase or decrease. \u201c4 percent as before is good enough to\nmaintain,\u201d Kholid said in a written statement on Thursday, 26 February\n2026.<\/p>\n
He explained that if the parliamentary threshold is raised from 4\npercent, more votes will be wasted. On the other hand, a significant\nreduction will trigger an extreme multi-party system.<\/p>\n
Gerindra and PDIP Still Studying<\/p>\n
As two large parties, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle\n(PDIP) and Gerindra have not yet determined their proposals regarding\nthe parliamentary threshold discourse. Both claim to still be conducting\nstudies.<\/p>\n
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad,\nsaid that Gerindra has not yet issued an official stance because it is\nstill conducting internal studies. \u201cThe Gerindra Party is currently\nconducting simulations and studies; of course, we await the results of\nthe party\u2019s study,\u201d said the Gerindra Party\u2019s Daily Chairman at the DPR\nComplex in Jakarta on Wednesday, 21 January 2026.<\/p>\n
CSIS Proposes Lowering Parliamentary Threshold<\/p>\n
In response to the debate, Head of the Politics and Social Change\nDepartment at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS),\nArya Fernandes, said there is no universal ideal standard for\ndetermining the parliamentary threshold size. \u201cIt depends on domestic\nneeds,\u201d Arya said on Saturday, 28 February 2026.<\/p>\n
In the context of Indonesian electoral politics, he proposes lowering\nthe threshold to 3.5 percent and further to 3 percent in the next\nelection. According to him, 3.5-3 percent is a midpoint between the\nlevel of representation and effectiveness.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/parliamentary-threshold-of-4-percent-to-be-maintained-or-reduced-1777049520", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }