Political Parties Reluctant on KPK's Proposal to Limit Party Leaders to a Maximum of Two Terms
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Several political parties have responded negatively to the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) proposal regarding the maximum tenure of political party general chairmen to two management periods.
The KPK’s proposal is contained in the 2025 report of the KPK’s Monitoring Directorate on political party governance, which found that there is no integrated standard for cadre development systems.
Based on these findings, the KPK recommends that the tenure of political party general chairmen be limited to a maximum of two management periods.
“To ensure the implementation of cadre development, regulations are needed to limit the leadership of the party general chairman to a maximum of two management periods,” stated the KPK’s Monitoring Directorate on Wednesday (22/4/2026).
“It encourages political parties to implement the Constitutional Court Decision Number 60/PUU-XXII/2024 on the minimum threshold for regional head elections through the recruitment of candidates for regional heads based on cadre development,” the statement added.
The KPK also proposes several points to be added to the revision of Article 29 of Law Number 2 of 2011 on Political Parties, namely regarding political party membership in Article 29 paragraph (1) letter a, adding that party members consist of youth, intermediate, and senior members.
Then, the requirements for cadres who become prospective DPR/DPRD candidates are clearly stated and tiered in the law (Article 29 paragraph (1a)). For example, DPR candidates come from senior cadres, provincial DPRD candidates from intermediate cadres.
Furthermore, the requirements for prospective presidential/vice-presidential/regional head/deputy regional head candidates, in addition to being democratic and open, also add a clause originating from the party’s cadre development system.
“Adding requirements for the minimum time to join the party to be nominated by the party,” stated the KPK’s Monitoring Directorate.
The NasDem Party firmly rejects the KPK’s proposal because it considers the tenure to be the authority of political parties.
“Whether two, three periods or forever, that is the decision of each political party. That is the right of political parties, so it cannot be interfered with,” said NasDem Party Treasurer General Ahmad Sahroni when contacted on Wednesday (22/4/2026).
He said that all mechanisms, processes, and dynamics related to leadership in the party are internal matters.
“Even the mechanisms related to the processes and dynamics within it are internal to the political party,” he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy General Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Saleh Partaonan Daulay said that the anti-corruption agency should not enter the realm of political parties.