DPR Wants Changes to Parliamentary Threshold Not to Burden Parties

Deputy Speaker of the DPR Sufmi Dasco Ahmad hopes that the discourse on changing the parliamentary threshold in the Election Bill (RUU Pemilu) will not burden other parties.

Dasco stated that the change to the parliamentary threshold is currently being studied by each party faction in the DPR. According to him, there is no final figure proposed for the change in the bill yet.

“We are looking at a threshold that is reasonable and will not burden other parties,” Dasco said at the parliamentary complex on Tuesday (22/4).

“There has been no discussion like that yet. We also have not coordinated with the parties,” he added.

Currently, Dasco said the discussion of the RUU Pemilu is still in the simulation and internal faction review stage in the DPR. His side does not want to rush so that the decision results are not challenged again in the Constitutional Court (MK).

“We don’t want to rush or hurry the Election Law, only for it to be challenged again,” he said.

Moreover, Dasco continued, the election stages can still proceed even if the RUU Pemilu, which is on the 2026 legislative priority agenda, has not been completed. According to him, the election stages starting at the end of 2026 can still run on schedule.

“With the old Election Law, those stages can still proceed,” he said.

Nevertheless, he assured that the RUU Pemilu will not be discussed in the final minutes. Because discussions in the final minutes could potentially not produce a perfect decision.

“I think if the discussion is at the end, the law might not be good. Meanwhile, from now until the election is still quite a long time. So we still need to conduct studies and simulations,” Dasco said.

10 issues for changes to the RUU Pemilu

Previously, a member of Commission II of the DPR, Ahmad Doli Kurnia, revealed there are 10 issues for changes in the RUU Pemilu, some of which are mandates from Constitutional Court (MK) decisions.

He elaborated that the 10 points of change are, first, the legislative election system. The RUU Pemilu will reopen the discourse on changing the election system, whether it remains an open proportional system, closed, or even a mixture.

Second, the discourse on changing the parliamentary threshold. Third, the discourse on changing the presidential threshold, both based on MK decisions. To date, Doli said, several factions are not yet in agreement on changing the parliamentary threshold, although for the presidential threshold, the MK has requested its abolition.

Fourth, the discourse on changing the number of seats per electoral district (dapil). Fifth, the seat conversion system from votes in the DPR. Sixth, the issue of separating local and national elections referring to Decision Number 135/PUU-XXII/2024. Seventh, the discourse on improving the system to curb money politics practices up to vote buying.

Eighth, digitalisation in every election stage. Ninth, the discourse on changing the election organising body, which, according to Doli, has long been criticised for its professionalism and integrity.

And finally, regarding the resolution of election disputes. For a long time, he said, he has been pushing for the establishment of a special judicial body for election resolution.

“Well, those are some or 10 issues, 5 contemporary and 5 classic ones that we will definitely discuss in the election law deliberation,” Doli said.