Jokowi ISSUEd A Perpu Amendment To The Election Law To Create Stability During The 2024 General Election In 4 New Papua Provinces

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) issued Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) Number 1 of 2022 concerning amendments to Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections (Pemilu).

Based on a copy uploaded at the JDIH Ministry of State Secretariat, the Perppu was issued as an implication of the formation of Southwest Papua Province as a result of expansion from West Papua Province, and South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and Papua Mountains Province which are expansions from Papua Province.

The presence of the four new provinces requires extraordinary policies and steps to anticipate the impact so that the 2024 General Election will continue to be carried out according to the schedule, stages and create domestic political stability.

"It is necessary to organize electoral districts and allocate seats for members of the House of Representatives (DPR), members of the Regional Representative Council (DPD), and members of the Provincial House of Representatives (DPRD) as well as the institutions of the general election organizers so that legal certainty needs to be given," read other considerations in the Perppu.

In issuing the Perppu, the President also considered the need to make changes to several norms in Law Number 7 of 2077 concerning General Elections related to institutional strengthening of general election organizers, related to the schedule for the start of the general election campaign for members of the DPR, DPD, DPRD, and the election campaign for the President and Vice President.

Then, changes are also related to the holding of general elections in the capital city of Nusantara in 2024, as well as adjustments to the electoral districts and adjustments to the number of seats for Provincial DPRD members as a result of the increase in the number of people.

The Perppu changes several provisions in the 2017 Law on General Elections. Among the new provisions in the Perppu, among others, there is Article 10A which states that the KPU has formed the Provincial KPU in South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, Papua Mountains Province, and Southwest Papua Province.

In Article 92A, it is also stated that Bawaslu formed the Provincial Bawaslu in South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, Papua Mountains Province, and Southwest Papua Province.

In article 186 of the Perppu, the number of seats for DPR members is set at 580 seats.

Then the Perppu also stipulates that Article 568 and Article 569 are inserted 1 (one) article, namely Article 568A which states that the implementation of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections, members of the DPR, DPD, provincial DPRD, and members of the district/city DPRD in 2024 in the Province of East Kalimantan which is included in the territory of the capital city of the archipelago as referred to in Law Number 3 of 2022 concerning the State Capital, remains guided by the provisions in Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections.

The Perppu was signed by President Joko Widodo on December 12, 2022 and promulgated on the same date.