PDIP Admits Proposal for Two-Party Presidential Nomination Threshold is Sensible

The Chairman of the PDI Perjuangan (PDIP) Central Executive Board, Said Abdullah, has assessed that the proposal requiring a minimum of two political parties to nominate a presidential and vice-presidential pair is a sensible idea, provided that a maximum limit for nominations is also established.

He stated that the party is still closely examining various ideas developing regarding the mechanism for nominating presidential and vice-presidential candidates. He noted that it needs to be clarified whether this two-party minimum requirement would apply only to parties with seats in parliament or to all political parties participating in the election.

“If the presidential threshold follows a political party approach, we might agree,” Said told reporters at the Parliament Complex on Monday, 21 September 2026.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Budget Committee added that the nomination mechanism for the president and vice-president needs to be formulated rationally so that the resulting candidates are acceptable to the public.

In addition to a minimum threshold, Said proposed the implementation of a maximum limit on the number of political parties that can join to support a single candidate pair. For instance, he suggested that a candidate pair could be required to secure support from a minimum of two political parties and a maximum of four.

“There should not be an absence of an upper limit,” he said.

Discourse regarding changes to the nomination mechanism for presidential and vice-presidential candidates has emerged after the Constitutional Court abolished the provisions for the presidential threshold, which was previously based on a percentage of DPR seats or the national valid vote count.

Previously, the Chairman of the NasDem Party, Surya Paloh, admitted to hearing discussions regarding a nomination mechanism requiring support from at least two political party factions. Surya believes the proposal is worth considering, particularly when linked to the parliamentary threshold.

“I have heard clear input that the proposed change to the model of presidential support would be based on the support of at least two factions,” Surya said in Jakarta on Saturday, 19 September 2026.