Jimly Proposes Electoral Commission as Fourth Branch of Power: Should Not be Subordinate to President and Parliament

Jakarta — Former Constitutional Court Chief Jimly Asshiddiqie has proposed that the General Election Commission (KPU) be established as the fourth branch of government power, following the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

His proposal was presented during a public hearing with Commission II of the House of Representatives discussing the design and issues surrounding the conduct of general elections on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

“Could we imagine if the KPU were the fourth branch of government power? Executive, legislative, judicial, and then this (KPU) as the fourth branch. There are several independent institutions that I categorise as quadro politica micro,” said Jimly during the hearing, as cited from a broadcast of the Parliamentary Television Network on Thursday, 12 March 2026.

“The KPU must not be subordinate to the influence of the president, because the president is an election participant, especially in a second term. The House of Representatives is an election participant,” Jimly stated.

Jimly further proposed that KPU members should serve on the basis of retirement age, similar to constitutional judges at the Constitutional Court, rather than on fixed terms.

“In my view, the KPU, particularly at the central level, should comprise mature individuals without political ambitions. Therefore, the minimum age should be 45 or 50 — let us say 45 — with retirement at 65 years of age,” said Jimly.

According to the official KPU RI website, the KPU RI possesses 12 authorities established under Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections.