Golkar and PKS Support Limiting Party Leaders' Tenure to Two Terms
The Central Executive Board (DPP) of the Golkar Party supports the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) proposal to limit the tenure of political party general chairmen to a maximum of two terms under the Political Parties Law.
Golkar DPP Chairman Yahya Zaini affirmed that limiting tenure is important to ensure healthy leadership circulation within the party.
“I agree if the tenure of political party general chairmen is limited to only two periods. For Golkar, this is already commonplace,” Yahya said when contacted on Friday (24/4).
He noted that in practice, Golkar’s general chairman can only lead for two periods. Therefore, Yahya said, the proposal is not surprising for Golkar.
According to him, such limitations are necessary so that the party’s strength does not depend on a particular figure, thereby encouraging cadre development and regeneration within the party.
Moreover, Yahya said, data indicates that the number of millennial and Gen Z voters in 2029 will reach 60-70% of the total electorate. Nevertheless, Yahya stated that his party leaves the matter to each political party.
“So, rejuvenation of party general chairmen becomes inevitable. However, ultimately it depends on the agreement of political parties during discussions on amendments to the political laws, particularly the Political Parties Law,” he said.
In addition to Golkar, PKS also supports the KPK’s proposal to limit the tenure of general chairmen. They even claim to have implemented such limitations in their internal rules.
Not only for the general chairman or party president, but also for the Shura Council and the Central Deliberation Council (MPP).
“The Chairman of the Shura Council, Party President, Chairman of the Central Deliberation Council, and other high-ranking leaders are limited to a maximum of two periods. This shows that tenure limitations are not new and can be implemented internally as part of the commitment to democracy,” said PKS MPP Chairman Mulyanto.
However, most other parties in the DPR reject the proposal. They consider the determination of party chairmen as internal autonomy and claim that the KPK has overstepped its authority.
“The KPK’s proposal is ahistorical because on 12 November 2025, the Constitutional Court ruled in case number Decision of the Constitutional Court No 194/PUU-XXIII/2025, which rejected the request for limiting the tenure of political party general chairmen,” said a Commission II DPR member from PKB, Muhammad Khozin, when contacted on Thursday (23/4).
The KPK’s proposal is outlined in the summary of the 2025 Annual Report of the KPK Monitoring Directorate, released on 17 April. In the report, the KPK proposes improvements in governance for several institutions and strategic government programmes, including political parties.
The KPK issued a total of 16 recommendations for improving political parties, one of which is revising Article 29 of Law No. 2 of 2011 on Political Parties to limit the tenure of general chairmen to a maximum of two terms.
In addition, there are recommendations for parties to improve education curricula, cadre systems, candidacy requirements, and financial governance.