Golkar Proposes Parliamentary Threshold Also Applied to Regional Legislative Councils
Deputy General Chairman of the Golkar Party, Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung, has proposed that the parliamentary threshold, or ambang batas parlemen, should not only apply to legislative elections for the DPR but also at the DPRD level.
He assessed that the parliamentary threshold for DPRD could be implemented in a graduated manner or at a lower level than that applied to DPR legislative elections.
“For example, 5 percent for the DPR. Well, provincial DPRD could apply 4 percent, and for regencies/cities, 3 percent,” said Doli when contacted on Wednesday, 22 April 2026.
The implementation of the parliamentary threshold for DPRD, he explained, is intended to strengthen the institutionalisation of political parties.
Doli admitted understanding the risk of wasted votes with the imposition of the threshold, including at the DPRD level. However, abolishing the threshold is also not the answer to achieving political stability and a conducive government.
“This proposal has been put forward by me a long time ago. Now, it depends on how other party factions follow it up in the revision of the Election Law later,” said the Deputy Chairman of the DPR’s Legislation Body.
Previously, non-parliamentary political parties rejected the proposal to impose a parliamentary threshold at a sufficiently high level, including at the DPRD level.
Deputy General Chairman of the Hanura Party’s Central Executive Board for Organisation, Membership, and Cadreisation, Akhmad Muqowam, stated that the current parliamentary threshold in Indonesia must be changed in accordance with the Constitutional Court’s ruling.
“So, we should no longer talk about political and election design, but also about people’s sovereignty,” said Muqowam.
He assessed that the higher and broader the application of the parliamentary threshold, the higher the potential for wasted people’s votes. “This must not be forgotten, because it is the mandate of the people,” he stated.
The DPR has not yet resumed discussions on revising the Election Law. Deputy Chairman of the DPR, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, said that the institution does not want to rush. Because there is still a long time to complete the revision of the Election Law.
“The Election Law has been challenged back and forth. The MK annuls, the MK decides this, then the MK decides something else. So this time, please, let’s all be patient. We want to make an Election Law that is really close to perfect,” said Dasco at the DPR Complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday, 21 April 2026.