Involving Non-Parliamentary Parties in the Revision of the Election Law: Between Participation and the Limits of Rationality

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The prospect of involving non-parliamentary political parties in drafting revisions to the Election Law (UU Pemilu) has sparked a debate. The debate emerged after the Chair of the House of Representatives Commission II, M Rifqinizamy Karsayuda, stated that his commission would involve non-parliamentary parties in the process of drafting the revision to the Election Law. ‘That has become our thinking and, God willing, in due course we will invite them (non-parliamentary parties) to obtain their perspectives on the design of our electoral framework going forward from their viewpoint,’ Rifqi said when contacted on Monday (23 February 2026). He said that the effort to gather public input is a form of meaningful participation (partisipasi bermakna) required by the Constitutional Court (MK) in the lawmaking process. Nevertheless, the intention of Commission II of the DPR was viewed negatively by one of the non-parliamentary political parties, namely the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI). PSI’s acting chairman Ahmad Ali said involving non-parliamentary parties in drafting the Election Law bill was an illogical and irrational step. ‘Not rational. Look, that’s an idea that doesn’t make sense because the authority to make laws rests only with the DPR and not with political parties. It is only members of the DPR and the government. So, if they then propose, the rational thing would be,’ Ali said, when met in Surabaya, East Java, on Monday (2 March 2026). Ali argued that the DPR does not need to go overboard because the law-making process in practice involves only two groups: the legislature and the government. He contended that DPR Commission II would be better off asking about the people’s interests for the Election Law, not the interests of parties that failed to pass through the DPR. ‘But if the public has interests, invite civil society organisations and ask them. Why involve political parties that have an interest? What needs to be asked is the people who will be represented by the political parties later. We are merely part of the process of obeying the rules made by the gentlemen in the DPR. So there is no need to ask us,’ Ali said. Formally, the right to form laws indeed rests with the DPR together with the government. However, in legislative practice, public participation is necessary to ensure regulations that emerge are more accountable and inclusive.