DPR Leadership and Commission II to Conduct Safari to Gather Input from Non-Parliamentary Parties for Election Bill
Deputy Chairman of the DPR’s Commission II, Aria Bima, stated that he and the DPR leadership will conduct a political safari to several political parties not represented in parliament starting next week. This step is being taken to gather comprehensive aspirations and input for drafting the new Election Bill (RUU Pemilu).
Aria explained that besides involving civil society and academics, the inclusion of non-parliamentary political parties is necessary to create more comprehensive election regulations. “The point is, besides civil society and universities, in drafting this bill we want to hear from parties that did not enter parliament,” Aria said at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Wednesday (24/6).
Aria detailed that the political safari will be led directly by Deputy Speaker of the DPR Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, accompanied by the leadership of Commission II and representatives of the faction groups (Poksi) representing the factions in the DPR. Several crucial materials and substances in the draft Election Bill will be dissected together with non-parliamentary parties, particularly regarding threshold rules and electoral district mapping.
“We must listen to crucial issues, namely the parliamentary threshold, the presidential threshold, as well as electoral districts and the limit of seats per electoral district,” said the PDI-Perjuangan politician.
When asked about the timing, Aria confirmed that the working visit agenda would be completed in a marathon before the DPR enters its next recess period. “What is clear is that before the recess period, we will have visits. God willing, it will be scheduled for next week,” he revealed.
Regarding the technicalities of the meeting, the parliament is currently finalising the best scheme, whether to visit each party’s secretariat one by one or to gather the non-parliamentary parties in a collective focus group discussion (FGD) forum. “Because this is still being arranged, whether we visit one by one or there is a gathering of parties that did not pass the parliamentary threshold. That will be left to the DPR leadership later,” Aria concluded.