Dasco reveals reluctance to rush discussion of Election Bill

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, stated that his side does not wish to hastily discuss the Draft Law (RUU) on Amendments to Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections (Pemilu).

This is because he wants the resulting Election Law to be truly good. The DPR leadership, he said, is currently asking political parties to conduct simulations of the electoral system to support the discussion of the bill.

“We are asking political parties to conduct simulations, both those in parliament and non-parliamentary ones not in parliament. So, do not rush it,” Dasco said at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Although the stages for the 2029 Elections are getting closer, according to him, those stages can still proceed using the old Election Law.

“Because the stages can just proceed. Recruitment for the KPU and Bawaslu can go ahead without a new law,” he said.

“We have gone back and forth with the Election Law being challenged, the MK annulling it, the MK deciding, then the MK deciding something else like that. So this time, please, let’s all be patient,” he said.

Do not let, he said, the Election Bill be discussed hastily but instead provoke new challenges at the Constitutional Court. Because, he emphasised, MK decisions are final and binding.

On the other hand, Dasco also does not want the discussion of the Election Bill to be done at the last minute approaching the 2029 Elections. According to him, the time leading up to the 2029 Elections is still long.

“Meanwhile, from now until the Elections, it’s still quite a while. So we still need to conduct studies and simulations,” he said.

He also stated that the Election Bill will be discussed based on agreements among the factions. Therefore, he cannot yet target a deadline for starting the discussion of the Election Bill.

“It must be an agreement among the factions after they finish it. Because the factions and parties, some have not yet. Even we from Gerindra, because that’s the legislative and presidential elections that need to be discussed,” he said.