PDI-P Chairman's Response: Ideal Parliamentary Threshold is 38 Seats

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Chairman of the PDI-P Central Executive Board, Said Abdullah, assesses that the ideal parliamentary threshold is a minimum of 38 seats in the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI).

Said expressed this in response to the proposal from the Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, regarding a parliamentary threshold based on the number of DPR commissions, namely 13.

“The first thing is that we live in a substantial democracy. Whether from the government or Mr Yusril personally, as part of one political party entity, proposing that the parliamentary threshold in the DPR RI should match the number of commissions, which is 13,” said Said when met at the DPR RI Building on Monday (4/5/2026).

According to Said, this figure is necessary to ensure that political party representation in the DPR runs effectively, both in commission work and council apparatus.

“Because if it’s only one commission per person, then the representation won’t be fulfilled. Because one person in one commission doesn’t have the capacity. At least two people per commission, two people in the AKD, that makes sense,” said Said.

He added that, if converted to a national vote percentage, 38 seats equates to around 5.5 to 6 percent.

Previously reported, Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra proposed using the number of DPR commissions as the benchmark for the parliamentary threshold for political parties to enter parliament and form factions.

Under this scheme, each political party must secure at least 13 seats in the DPR, following the current number of 13 commissions.

Yusril added that parties not reaching this threshold still have the option to form joint coalitions with a total minimum of 13 seats or join another party’s faction.

“In this way, no votes are lost, and it is fair enough for all of us,” he said.

Yusril also urged revisions to the Law on the MPR, DPR, DPD, and DPRD (MD3) as the basis for determining a clearer threshold, even though the electoral system remains proportional.

“And I hope this will emerge as a middle-ground solution to address the issue of the minimum threshold, how we determine the number, and how we then form factions in the DPR,” he said.