DPR Members: 4 New Provinces In Papua Included In The 2024 Election

JAKARTA - Member of Commission II DPR RI Guspardi Gaus said, four new provinces in Papua were included in the 2024 election even though the number of electoral districts (dapil) for the DPR RI and provincial DPRD was agreed to remain unchanged.

He said this was in response to one of the conclusion points of the Hearing Meeting (RDP) and working meeting (raker) of the Commission II DPR RI with Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian as well as the General Elections Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) and the Honorary Council. Election Organizers (DKPP) on Wednesday, January 11.

"Papua, which (has) four additional new autonomous regions (DOBs), has entered the realm that we have determined, so there is no need for any more changes to the electoral districts," he said when contacted in Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, January 12.

This, said Guspradi, was because the points of agreement not to change the determination of the electoral districts for the DPR RI and the provincial DPRD referred to Perppu Number 1 of 2022 concerning Amendments to the Election Law, which among other things stipulated the impact of the establishment of four new autonomous regions in Papua on the implementation of the 2024 elections.

There was no change in the stipulation because it referred to Appendix III and IV of the Election Law and became part of the contents of the PKPU regarding electoral districts, he said.

"So, this means that Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections (Election Law) has been carried out, as well as Perppu Number 1 of 2022 concerning Amendments to the Election Law. So it means that the four new autonomous regions in Papua are part of what we have discussed," he said.

As for the National Capital City (IKN) of the Nusantara in East Kalimantan, he said, there is no separate electoral district yet because it is currently under construction so it still refers to the Election Law.

"We have decided on the IKN, even though it is the new Capital City of the Nusantara, but because it has not been filled in, the center of government has not moved, and it has not yet started, so we agree that in the 2024 (elections) in 2024 (the electoral district) still refers to Law Number 7 2017," he said.

Guspardi explained that the conclusion points in the form of an agreement were made together with Commission II of the DPR and election organizers because the deadline for the stages of determining the electoral districts of the DPR RI, Provincial DPRD, and regency/city districts is next February.

He said the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) Number 80/PUU-XX/2022 in December 2022 stated that the determination of the electoral districts of the DPR RI and the provincial DPRD was the authority of the KPU.

Previously, the KPU was only authorized to determine the electoral districts of the city/regency DPRD, while the DPR RI and provincial DPRD determined the electoral districts.

"Because this is the KPU's (authority), previously it was the domain of the DPR. Of course, yesterday's KPU was in accordance with its agenda to conduct a consultation in order to arrange the electoral districts of the DPR RI and the province," he said.

RDP and Commission II DPR RI meeting with the Minister of Home Affairs, KPU RI, Bawaslu RI, and DKPP RI on Wednesday (11/1), which took place from 14.00 WIB to 21.06 WIB, resulted in six points of conclusion.

The sixth point of the conclusion reads, "Commission II of the DPR together with the Minister of Home Affairs as well as the RI KPU, RI Bawaslu, and DKPP RI agree that the determination of electoral districts (dapil) for the DPR RI and provincial DPRD is the same and has not changed as set out in attachments III and IV of the Election Law and Perppu Number 1 of 2022 concerning Amendments to the Election Law and is part of the contents of PKPU regarding electoral districts. The electoral district of the Regency/Municipal DPRD will be discussed further together.