Yusril proposes number of DPR commissions as parliamentary threshold

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correctional Services Yusril Ihza Mahendra has proposed that the number of commissions in the House of Representatives (DPR RI) should serve as the threshold for political parties participating in legislative elections to secure seats in parliament and form factions. He explained that this means each political party must obtain at least 13 seats in the DPR RI, as there are currently 13 commissions in the DPR RI. “For example, the reference could be the actual number of commissions in the DPR. This is currently regulated in the standing orders, but it should be regulated in the Law,” Yusril said after attending a Technical Guidance event for DPRD members in Jakarta on Wednesday. He stated that if other parties cannot reach 13 seats, they could form a joint coalition with at least 13 members or more. Additionally, they could join the faction of a larger party. “In this way, no votes are lost, and it is fair for all of us,” he said. Although it has been agreed that the electoral system is proportional, according to him, it is also necessary to regulate so that the people’s votes channelled through the election are not lost just like that. He said the purpose of the proportional system is to accommodate all votes. Therefore, Yusril continued, the Law on the MPR, DPR, DPD, and DPRD (MD3) also needs to be improved to serve as a reference point for determining the agreed threshold number. “And we hope that this will emerge as a middle-ground solution to address the issue of the minimum threshold, how we determine its number, and how we then form factions in the DPR,” he said.