Democrats on the Election Bill: There's Still Plenty of Time

General Secretary of the Democrat Party, Herman Khaeron, believes that discussions on the revision of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections, or the Election Bill, still have sufficient time since voting is not until 2029. According to him, the House of Representatives and the government, as lawmakers, are still within the appropriate timeline. “The time is still quite long (leading up to) the 2029 election,” he said at the DPR Complex in Jakarta on Thursday, 16 April 2026. Herman stated that election stages generally begin one and a half years before voting day, or in 2027 for the 2029 election. He opined that the most important thing now is to ensure the recruitment process for election organisers, such as commissioners of the General Elections Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), and the Election Organisers’ Honorary Council (DKPP). After ensuring that this recruitment produces election organisers who are integrous and competent, he views that as the time when election discussions can truly begin. “After that, in my opinion (the discussion of) the law, while perhaps building something positive, the opinion should indeed be directed towards how to achieve efficiency in the election budget,” he said. Although there has been no formal discussion in the DPR, Herman mentioned that politicians in Senayan have communicated informally. Those discussions, for example, include changes to the idea of the parliamentary threshold above four percent. Herman stated that he is still awaiting the formal discussion process for the Election Bill. “Let’s just wait, in my opinion, if it’s about opinions and views, opinions from the factions, I think this is still informal. Later, the formal one we wait for until the discussion in the working committee or in the special committee,” he said. The last discussion on revising the Election Law was held by Commission II of the DPR on 10 March. At that time, the DPR presented former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin, as well as Jimly Asshidiqqie. Member of Commission II of the DPR, Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung, stated that the discussion of the Election Bill should have been held on Monday, 13 April 2026. The Golkar Party politician admitted he did not know the reason for the postponement of the Commission II DPR agenda, which was scheduled to hold an internal meeting to hear a presentation from the House Expert Staff Body (BKD). According to him, the discussion of revising the Election Law is a very important matter considering the approaching election schedule. For example, he said, the Constitutional Court decision concerning several election issues. In particular, said Doli, Decision Number 135 which separates election administration. That decision, according to him, has received pro and contra responses from the public, so it must be immediately addressed by completing the discussion of revising the Election Law. Doli hopes that party leaders and DPR together with factions can act progressively in discussing the revision of the Election Law to ensure legal certainty in the democratic festivities. “If this is done at the beginning of 2027, I think it’s not tight anymore, but it’s already very late,” said Doli at the DPR, MPR, and DPD Complex on Wednesday, 15 April 2026.