Delay in Discussing Revisions to Election Law Harms People with Disabilities
Chair of the Election Accessibility Centre for Disabilities (PPUAD), Heppy Sebayang, has urged the House of Representatives to promptly discuss revisions to Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections (Election Law). He stated that the delay in discussions harms the disability community.
“We hope for improvements to election regulations that are more inclusive,” he said during a press conference titled ‘Hasten the Discussion of Revisions to the Election Law’ at the STH Jentera Campus in East Jakarta on Thursday, 9 April 2026.
He noted that the current Election Law has guided two election implementations: the 2019 and 2024 elections. During those processes, PPUAD recorded that out of 20 million people with disabilities, the General Elections Commission (KPU) only registered 1.1 million disability voters. “There is a much larger number who are not recorded as disability voters,” he said.
According to him, the current Election Law also hinders the participation of people with disabilities in elections. There are still requirements that restrict people with disabilities from becoming election organisers.
Additionally, he mentioned that several Constitutional Court decisions need to be aligned with the Election Law. Therefore, he urged the DPR to immediately discuss the revision of the Election Law.
However, the discussion must involve civil society. “To provide input and suggestions in the discussion of future revisions to the election law,” he said.
PPUAD is part of the Civil Society Coalition for the Codification of the Election Law. This coalition consists of the Indonesian Centre for Law and Policy Studies, Indonesian Women’s Coalition, ICW, Puskapol, SAFEnet, PPDI, Kawula17, Elsam, PUSAKO, Themis, NET GRIT, Migrant Care, and Remotivi.
The Civil Society Coalition for the Codification of the Election Law has pressed the DPR and President Prabowo Subianto to immediately start and prioritise the discussion of revisions to the Election Law. Researcher from the Indonesian Centre for Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), Muhammad Nur Ramadhan, said the coalition is asking the DPR, as the proposer of the Bill, to promptly complete the academic paper and draft amendments to the Election Law.
“And publish it so that stakeholders and the public can provide input on a clear reference,” he said in the coalition’s statement at the STH Jentera Campus in South Jakarta on Thursday, 9 April 2026.
The coalition suspects intentional efforts by the DPR and the President to maintain the existing regulatory status quo. The coalition views this situation as reflecting a lack of seriousness in substantively reforming the democratic system.
“In this context, the delay is no longer neutral but potentially a political strategy to maintain a power configuration that benefits certain actors,” he said.
Ramadhan stated that the delay in discussing the Election Bill impacts the threat of authoritarianism. Because undemocratic elections can become tools to strengthen authoritarian power rather than consolidate democracy.
“Therefore, this legislative stagnation can be read as part of structural issues in Indonesia’s democratisation commitment,” he said.
In a hearing with Commission II of the DPR on Tuesday, 10 March, former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin proposed accelerating the revision of the Election Law considering the approaching election timeline.
He cited the experience of the 2024 Election. At that time, the General Elections Commission (KPU) had opened party registration in June or even earlier.
Another consideration for completing the revision of the Election Law at the latest two years before implementation, or 2027, is that regulations cannot be prepared suddenly. According to Mahfud, this could lead to legal issues, including challenges in the Constitutional Court.
“Well, I think it’s true that the Regional Election Law and the Election Law must be revised and completed as soon as possible,” said the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.
DPR Speaker Puan Maharani stated that all party factions in the DPR, together with the government, both formally and informally, continue to discuss revisions to the Election Law to find the best formulation for implementation in the 2029 Election.
“But with the current geopolitical situation, we are not yet thinking about politics in 2029,” Puan said at the DPR, MPR, and DPR Complex on Thursday, 12 March 2026.
She added that the DPR and the government are currently more focused on helping grassroots issues, including synergising to create regulations based on public interests.