Researcher: Proposal for two-term party leaders prevents personalistic leadership
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Senior researcher from the National Research and Innovation Agency’s (BRIN) Political Research Centre, Lili Romli, assesses the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) proposal regarding the limitation of general chairmen of political parties to two terms as a means to prevent personalistic leadership.
“I think the proposal is good for strengthening the institutionalisation of party leadership so as not to fall into personalistic leadership and to ensure good elite circulation,” she told ANTARA when contacted in Jakarta on Friday.
The KPK has put forward several proposals for revisions to Law Number 2 of 2011 on Political Parties (Parpol), particularly suggesting that the leadership of general chairmen of political parties should be limited to a maximum of two terms in office.
Lili stated that the proposal issued by the KPK relates to stagnant and undemocratic party leadership succession, which does not occur periodically.
She said that the issue of party leadership succession is actually an internal party matter.
“However, it appears that the KPK sees that the issue of stagnant party leadership succession tends to be undemocratic, where the change of party general chairman does not occur periodically, thus leading to this proposal from the KPK. On that basis, the KPK proposes that the position of party general chairman be limited to two terms,” she said.
According to her, the proposal needs to be considered wisely to avoid rejection or resistance from parties because the state cannot regulate internal parpol affairs.
In addition, Lili mentioned that the KPK can continue this proposal in the agenda of discussing the Political Parties Bill to bind parties through the Law or the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) could submit it as a government initiative proposal.
“It could be that the KPK itself proposes it when there is discussion of the Political Parties Bill, or it could be taken over by the Ministry of Home Affairs as a government initiative proposal,” she said.
Previously, the KPK provided these proposals after conducting a study on political party governance, as stated in the Appendix to the 2025 Annual Report of the KPK’s Monitoring Directorate.
In that study, the anti-corruption agency found that there is no or unclear regulation on four aspects of political party governance in Indonesia, particularly the term of office of the general chairman of political parties.
The anti-graft agency proposes that during cadre development, regulations are needed to limit the leadership of the party general chairman to a maximum of two terms of office.