Pros And Cons Of Political Parties Regarding The Zero Percent Presidential Threshold, Who Agrees?
JAKARTA - The proposal for a presidential nomination threshold or a presidential threshold of zero percent reaps pros and cons. This proposal came from the chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri with the aim of eradicating corruption. For him, a high threshold number creates high political costs and has the potential to lead to corruption.
There are political parties that support, there are those who refuse and even ask for more. Others, assessing the threshold must remain but the number is lowered.
Then, which political parties agree to zero percent? And which party still wants the threshold to remain?
PAN-PKS Parties Agree Zero Percent
The National Mandate Party (PAN) supports that the presidential nomination threshold (PT) be lowered to zero percent. Even PAN has voiced the regulation since the discussion of the revised Election Bill.
"PAN has agreed that the presidential threshold is zero percent. Even since the discussion of the Election Bill (Law Number 7 of 2017), where I participated as a member of the Special Committee, the attitude of PAN has been clear that the presidential threshold is zero percent," said the Deputy Chairman of PAN, Viva Yoga Mauladi, Wednesday, December 15.
According to Viva, the zero percent presidential threshold will create new shoots for Indonesia's leadership. The reason is, there are no longer any restrictions on the nomination of pairs of candidates by political parties or coalitions of political parties.
"(Presidential threshold of zero percent, ed) eliminates negative impressions and perceptions of political parties that are considered to be hijackers of the Pancasila democratic system and become the root of oligarchic leadership as a virus for the health of democracy," said Viva.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) DPP, Mardani Ali Sera, stated that his party always tries to lower the presidential nomination threshold from the current 20 percent.
"PKS continues to try to lower the presidential threshold. The proposal is a maximum of 10 percent and at least equal to the parliamentary threshold of 4 percent," said Mardani, Wednesday, December 15.
Mardani said his party also supports the proposed zero percent presidential threshold in order to open a fair contest and provide opportunities for all parties to run for president.
"(The 20 percent presidential threshold) limits the contestation arena and limits the opportunities for the contestation of works and ideas," said the member of Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR).
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PDIP Party refuses, asks for a 30 percent increase instead
A PDIP Party senior politician Hendrawan Supratikno disagrees with the proposal. Because according to him, the presidential threshold is important to implement so that the presidential system remains strong.
In fact, he said, PDIP wants the presidential threshold to be raised to 30 percent and the parliamentary threshold to 10 percent.
"The ideal is according to the general formula in countries with a presidential parliamentary threshold system of 10 percent, and a presidential threshold of 30 percent, so that the presidential system goes hand in hand with a simple multi-party system," Hendrawan told reporters, Wednesday, December 15.
PDIP, continued the member of Commission IX of the DPR, wants to strengthen the presidential system, not the parliamentary system. Therefore, said Hendrawan, presidential candidates must have sufficient support from political parties in parliament.
"The presidential system is only suitable for a simple multi-party system, between 2-5 parties. In Indonesia the number of parties is still too many. Consolidation through the parliamentary threshold has not succeeded in reducing the number of parties. parties," he explained.
Hendrawan emphasized that the presidential threshold is a middle way so that tensions between the presidential and multi-party systems can be harmonized or synergized.
"Otherwise, we will slip into the parliamentary system," said Hendrawan.
Golkar and PPP Parties Want 20 Percent of Presidential Threshold to be Maintained
Meanwhile, the Golkar Party assesses that the presidential threshold of 20 percent of parliamentary seats or 25 percent of the vote from the election results must be maintained.
Deputy Chairperson of the Golkar Party, Nurul Arifin, assessed that the 20 percent presidential threshold is important as an effort to screen candidates or figures that will be carried by political parties in the election.
"The presidential threshold must remain, because if it is not there then the candidates will not be screened," said Nurul Arifin to reporters, Wednesday, December 15.
Secretary of the PPP Party Faction Ahmad Baidowi, in fact, considered the existence of a presidential threshold as a form of incentive or appreciation for political parties that have fought in the election.
"Besides, don't let the president-elect later not get support in parliament so that it will hinder the policies he makes," said Awiek.
"So far, there is no plan to revise the Election Law," he continued.
PKB and NasDem Parties Agree PT 20 Percent Lower
Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, admitted that the presidential threshold of 20 percent as stated in Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections (Pemilu) was indeed too high.
He suggested that the 20 percent threshold should be lowered in order to provide more space for competition in democracy in Indonesia. Muhaimin alias Cak Imin suggested that the presidential threshold could be lowered to a range of 5 to 10 percent.
"(Presidential threshold of 20 percent, ed) is still not our goal, our goal is 5-10 percent. In order to give more space for expression and competition, everyone has the same rights," said Muhaimin at the DPR Building, Wednesday, December 15.
However, regarding the discourse on the zero percent electoral threshold for presidential candidacy, the deputy chairman of the DPR RI does not fully agree. Because Cak Imin thinks that the threshold is still needed because the votes and electoral votes of each party are different.
"The ideal is zero percent, but it's not funny, there must be restrictions. there are restrictions. Yes, maybe in the upcoming elections," said Cak Imin.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Executive Board (DPP) of NasDem Party, Atang Irawan, assessed that the presidential threshold (PT) was important in order to strengthen the presidential system. According to him, PT can increase the quality of candidate pairs. Because it has to go through a determination or selection mechanism in a coalition of political parties.
"The presidential threshold is important because in order to strengthen the presidential system, although PT should be followed by an electoral threshold and raise the parliamentary threshold, the presidential threshold can increase the quality of candidate pairs because they must pass the determination or selection mechanism in a coalition of political parties," said Atang in his statement, Wednesday, December 15.
However, continued Atang, the amount of PT 20 percent needs to be considered. Because, if you look at the state administration practice of PT 20 percent, it only results in two presidential election candidates. In fact, it has caused very strong polarization and the excesses of community division due to differences in support are increasingly sharp.
"So it is necessary to consider lowering PT 15 percent, so that there can be more than 2 pairs of candidates, it can minimize polarization, including opening up space for many parties to recruit candidates. because it simplifies the coalition process, so that the democratic space will be more open and competitive," he said.