Rejects Yusril's Proposal, PDIP Wants 6% Parliamentary Threshold
The PDIP faction in the DPR has rejected the proposal from Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correctional Services, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, to adjust the parliamentary threshold in the Election Bill according to the number of commissions in the DPR.
PDIP faction member Said Abdullah assessed that if the parliamentary threshold were based solely on the 13 commissions, factions would not fulfil the principle of representation in decision-making in the DPR.
“Because if it’s just commissions, and then one person, the representation would not be fulfilled,” he said at the parliamentary complex on Monday (4/5).
The number of DPR working bodies (AKD) for the 2024-2029 period currently totals 19, comprising 13 commissions and six bodies. Thus, referring to Yusril’s proposal, each party would need at least 13 seats to enter the DPR, converted from valid votes in the election.
That number does not include the six bodies, namely the Budget Agency, Honour Agency, Cooperation Agency, House Affairs Agency, Legislation Agency, and Aspiration Agency.
According to Said, his side has proposed from the start that the minimum number of seats for each faction or party in the DPR should be twice the number of AKD, or 38 seats adjusted to the current number of AKD in the DPR.
“As I recall, I once stated that the ideal is six times the number of commissions plus AKD, meaning 19 times 2, 38 seats. That is the minimum number,” said Said.
Therefore, the Chairman of the DPR Budget Agency proposed that the parliamentary threshold, which is one of the issues in the revision of the Election Law, be set at 5.5 to 6 percent.
“Because one person in one commission lacks capacity. At least two people per commission, two people in AKD, that makes sense,” he said.
Referring to the current Election Law, the parliamentary threshold is 4 percent. However, the Constitutional Court, through its decision, has requested that the figure be reviewed by the DPR.
Meanwhile, in his proposal, Yusril also wants parties that do not meet the 13 commissions in the DPR to be able to form joint factions or join larger factions. According to him, this provision is to ensure no votes from the public in the election are wasted.
Therefore, he also encourages revisions to Law No. 17 of 2014 on the MPR, DPR, DPD, and DPRD (MD3 Law) so that it can serve as the determining point for the agreed parliamentary threshold.
“In this way, no votes are lost, and it is fair enough for all of us,” said Yusril after attending the Technical Guidance for DPRD Members in Jakarta on Wednesday (29/4), as quoted from Antara.