Surya Paloh proposes 7 per cent parliamentary threshold
The General Chairman of the NasDem Party, Surya Paloh, has proposed that the parliamentary threshold (PT) be raised to 7 per cent amidst the ongoing discussions regarding the figure, which will serve as a basis for the revision of the General Election Law.
According to him, NasDem’s stance is to encourage an increase in the threshold so that political parties in parliament are better selected to ensure democratic effectiveness. However, he also ensured that NasDem remains open to discussions with other parties to find an ideal figure.
“For us, a selected group of parties is clearly more effective for our democracy than a multi-party system,” said Surya Paloh after hosting the visit of Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at NasDem Tower, Jakarta, on Saturday.
Furthermore, he expressed that NasDem is willing to propose this figure even though the party’s current survey results are in the 4 per cent range.
Despite the possibility that NasDem might not qualify for Parliament, he stated that the proposal is a form of prioritising national interests over party interests.
“To be honest, that is my wish as the General Chairman of the NasDem Party. But whatever the result, the majority vote will decide,” he said.
He also noted that there is still plenty of time for the discussion of the Election Law revision. However, he believes it would be better if the law could be finalised this year, as elections are a strategic matter.
“I think one of the legislative products we must prioritise is the election law, rather than various other laws,” he added.
Previously, several political parties have expressed diverse views regarding the proposed parliamentary threshold figure in the Draft Election Law (RUU Pemilu).
The General Secretary of the Gerindra Party, Sugiono, stated that his party agrees with a parliamentary threshold of 5 per cent in the discussions regarding the revision of the Election Law.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Honour Committee of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Komarudin Watubun, stated that a 5 per cent parliamentary threshold is the ideal figure to achieve the simplification of political parties.
Meanwhile, the Deputy General Chairman of PAN, Viva Yoga Mauladi, expressed objections to the threshold rising above 4 per cent, as it could potentially conflict with the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling.