PDI-P's Said Deems National Parliamentary Threshold of 5.5% to 6% Ideal
PDI-P Deputy Chairman Said Abdullah commented on Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra’s proposal that every political party should secure at least 13 seats in line with the number of DPR commissions as the legislative threshold. Said stated that ideally, the minimum number of seats for representation in the DPR should be 38.
“As I recall, I once suggested that the ideal figure is the number of commissions (13) plus the AKD (council support bodies) which number 6, meaning 19 times 2, or 38 seats. That is the minimum number. Because if it’s just one person per commission, the representation will not be adequately fulfilled,” Said said at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (4/5/2026).
Said explained that there should be at least two representatives from each party in every commission and council support body. He stated that the ideal national parliamentary threshold is between 5.5% and 6%.
“Because one person in one commission lacks capacity. At least two people per commission, two in the AKD, that makes sense,” said Said Abdullah.
“Thus, if there are proposals for a selected party threshold of 7%, some for 6%, some for 5%. When linked to the number of commissions and AKD, the ideal is indeed 38 seats, around 5.5% to 6%. PDI Perjuangan at that level: 5.5% to 6%. First, at the national level,” he added.
The Chairman of the DPR Budget Committee said that the threshold should also be applied to provincial, regency, or city DPRDs. He proposed a tiered parliamentary threshold (PT) for DPRDs based on the national determination.
“For example, if the national level is 6%, then at the provincial level 5% and at the regency-city level 4%. Because if there is no parliamentary threshold at the provincial, regency, and city levels, it will truly complicate our DPRD institutions and local governments. Ideally, it should be parallel from top to bottom,” he explained.
He stated that the threshold at the DPRD level is a necessity. As is known, the current seat calculation for DPRDs is done without a threshold; parties with less than 4% of the national vote can still obtain legislative seats at the local level.
“At the provincial level 5%, at the regency and city level 4%. Ideally like that because if they only get one seat, one combined seat, even within the coalition combination itself, they can’t make decisions,” said Said.
“And that will definitely complicate our DPRD, especially when dealing with local governments, even more so. Therefore, a PT is needed; it is a necessity in the regions that there must also be a PT (parliamentary threshold),” he continued.
Previously, Yusril proposed that the number of commissions in the DPR RI be used as the threshold for political parties participating in legislative elections. He suggested that every political party must obtain at least 13 seats in the DPR RI because there are 13 commissions in the DPR RI.
“For example, the reference should actually be how many commissions there are in the DPR. Now, that is regulated in the standing orders; it should be regulated in the law,” said Yusril, quoted by Antara on Thursday (30/4).
He said that parties that cannot reach 13 seats can form a joint coalition also consisting of at least 13 seats or more. In addition, they can join a larger party faction.
“In this way, no votes are lost, and it is fair enough for all of us,” he said.
The proposal arose while the DPR is still discussing revisions to the Election Law. The revision process is ongoing, and the parliamentary threshold issue is one of the sensitive topics.