PSI Agrees to Limit Political Party Leaders to Two Terms, Alludes to 'Inheritance'
Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Central Board, Ahmad Ali, supports the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) recommendations on political party governance, including limiting the tenure of party chairmen to a maximum of two terms. He views this as essential to avoid the cult of personality around party leaders.
“For us, this is important. Why? We do not want the cult of personality to occur in political party institutions. So, what happens today is the cult towards party chairmen because of what? Because they have been in the institution or as party chairman for too long,” Ali said when contacted on Friday (26/4/2026).
Ali noted that currently, there is a phenomenon where the position of party chairman seems like an inheritance. He described the proposal put forward by the KPK as highly rational.
“In the end, the party chairman has become like an inheritance. In my opinion, this is a very, very rational proposal because the main function of a political party is cadre development,” he stated.
He mentioned that those who disagree could potentially be building a kingdom within the party. He sees the proposal as improving cadre development in parties.
“Well, if there is a party that disagrees because it wants to institutionalise its family, what, term it, wants to build a kingdom which ultimately means the political party institution no longer performs its function as cadre development,” Ali said.
“So, the party chairman becomes a family institution there. What is proposed by the political parties, in my opinion, will revive the cadre development function of political parties,” he added.
PSI also proposes that if a party cadre is involved in corruption, there should be sanctions imposed. He stated that this would ensure the cadre development system in the party is functioning.
“In fact, PSI proposes that if a political party has many cadres caught in corruption cases, for example at the ministerial level, it should be questioned. Or sanctions should be formulated for it,” Ali said.
“What does that mean? It means that the cadre development function in the party is not functioning. I don’t believe that if there is a minister, a political party that has three ministers, all three are involved in corruption cases,” he continued.
Ali believes there is also a role for the party and its chairman when cadres commit corruption. He hopes for moral standards to be applied regarding the party chairman’s position.
“It is impossible that it is only for the individual’s interest. Surely, it must be believed that there is involvement or the ministers appointed by the party are mounted by the party or the party chairman to enrich themselves or the party,” he said.
It is known that the KPK has conducted a study on political party governance to prevent corruption. One of them is the KPK’s proposal for a limit on the leadership tenure of party chairmen to two terms.
This study was conducted by the KPK in 2025 through the Monitoring Directorate. The KPK found four points that need to be improved in the political party system in Indonesia and provided 16 recommendations.
“To ensure cadre development runs well, there needs to be a regulation limiting the leadership of the party chairman to a maximum of 2 terms of tenure,” states one of the recommendations in the KPK study results, Thursday (23/4).