House Speaker Ensures Election Bill Drafted to Benefit the People Without Harm

Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani has assured that the Draft Law on Amendments to Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections will be designed to prioritise honesty, justice, and to avoid harming the people.

Puan stated that all political parties in the House of Representatives have held discussions on the bill, both formally and informally, including communications among party chairmen.

“We intend for the upcoming election to be conducted honestly, without harming the people, and to be beneficial for the nation and state,” Puan said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

She did not deny that the stages for the 2029 election are now approaching closer.

However, she emphasised that the Election Bill must be designed to create the best electoral system for the people.

“So, we will continue to hold discussions in the best possible way, informally and formally,” she said.

Previously, the Civil Society Coalition for Election Codification urged the government and the House of Representatives to immediately discuss the Draft Law on Amendments to Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections.

Researcher from the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), Kahfi Adlan Hafiz, who is part of the coalition, said the urgency stems from a comprehensive evaluation of previous elections that revealed various structural problems in the design and regulation of elections.

“The need for revisions to the Election Law is increasingly urgent, particularly in relation to the upcoming stages of selecting election organisers,” Kahfi said during the coalition’s online press conference held in Jakarta on Monday (4/5).