DPR Commission II Member Reveals Reasons for Delaying Discussion on Election Bill
Deputy Chairman of DPR Commission II, Aria Bima, has revealed several reasons for the delay in starting discussions on the revision of Law Number 7 of 2017 on General Elections (RUU Pemilu). According to the PDI Perjuangan politician, Commission II of the DPR is currently compiling various inputs regarding the presidential threshold, parliamentary threshold, and regulations for national and regional elections.
Aria Bima stated that these three issues are key matters being prepared by the DPR’s Expert Body into an academic paper and a draft RUU Pemilu. “Commission II is currently open to various information from the KPU, Bawaslu, stakeholders, democracy activists from campuses and non-campuses,” Aria said in a written statement on Saturday, 25 April 2026.
He explained that Commission II of the DPR is reluctant to rush into discussing the RUU Pemilu because it does not want every regulatory change to instead create legal problems and be re-tested in the Constitutional Court. Therefore, he said, the DPR is still gathering various views to ensure that changes to the Election Law are truly based on strong legal foundations.
“So, following the MK’s decision, we do not want to become a political laboratory where we continuously revise the Law based on MK decisions, but after it’s made, it faces judicial review again,” he stated.
Aria Bima assessed that it is difficult to translate MK decisions into law. Therefore, the DPR wants to be careful by inviting various academics and research institutions to provide comprehensive views on the Election Law.
“So if there are those who see this as slowness, it is because of its qualitative weight,” he said. “Currently, we are still collecting and systematising the MK decisions to become a single codification system like what,” said Aria Bima.
Although the discussion of the RUU Pemilu has not yet begun, he is optimistic that it will not disrupt the implementation of the 2029 Elections. The last discussion of the revision of the Election Law by Commission II of the DPR was held on 10 March, when the DPR presented former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin and Jimly Asshidiqqie.
Article 167 paragraph (6) of the current Election Law states that the stages of organising the Election begin at the latest 20 months before the voting day. If the 2029 election follows the previous pattern like the 2024 Election, the voting day is estimated around February 2029. Thus, the stages must begin around June–July 2027.
On Wednesday, 15 April 2025, Member of Commission II of the DPR Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung stated that the discussion of the revision of the Election Law 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 DPR Expert Body or BKD.
However, according to him, the discussion of the revision of the Election Law is a very important matter considering the approaching election timeline. For example, he said, the Constitutional Court decision concerning several election issues. In particular, Doli said, Decision Number 135 which separates the organisation of elections.
Based on the current applicable law, the government should start forming the election organiser selection team in August or September.