Golkar Agrees On A 4 Percent Parliamentary Threshold: So That The DPR Does Not Become A Kindergarten

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Golkar faction MPR Melchias Markus Mekeng agreed that the parliamentary threshold or Parliamentary Threshold would still be enforced.

According to him, there is a threshold in the legislative elections (pileg) to minimize noise.

This was said by Mekeng in response to the Labor Party's lawsuit to the Constitutional Court (MK) so that the DPR's entry threshold rule or parliamentary threshold (PT) was changed, completely removed, or calculated based on electoral districts (Dapil) in the 2029 election.

"In my opinion, yes, this is a Threshold parliament. We have agreed that there was never a threshold before, right? Then in the end there will be riots here in 2004 if I'm not mistaken. Finally, we made a parliament threshold. If I agree there will still be a parliament threshold," said Mekeng at the DPR building, Tuesday, July 29.

"So that it's not boisterous, so the DPR will be said to be like a children's park again. Like Mr. late Gus Dur said this was like a kindergarten. Because everyone who says that non-threshold people who only have one seat can make a fuss," he continued.

Mekeng said that his party would not have a problem if PT was still enforced at 4 percent. Whatever the figure, he agreed that the parliamentary threshold would still exist.

"Yes, a minimum of 4 percent. For Golkar, it doesn't matter," he said.

"So I prefer the threshold, it's still there," added Mekeng.

Mekeng also advised the plaintiff not to question the threshold, but to find ways to make the political party concerned known to the public.

"Don't make a fuss thinking about the threshold. Now think about how these parties enter society, there are still four years and are known to the public and elected by the community. Don't fuss over the threshold," he said.

Previously, the Labor Party submitted a judicial review of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections to the Constitutional Court (MK).

The Labor Party wants the DPR entry threshold or parliamentary threshold (PT), which has been decided by the Constitutional Court to be changed, completely removed, or calculated based on the electoral district (Dapil) in the 2029 election.

Vice President of the Labor Party Said Salahudin said that his party would continue to submit a judicial review even though there was a Constitutional Court Decision Number 116/PUU-XXI/2023 regarding orders to legislators to change PT 4 percent in the 2029 election. They asked the Constitutional Court to make a decision that removed PT or amend the calculation method.

"Our recommendation is to ask the Constitutional Court to abolish the PT nationally aka PT 0 percent. But if the Constitutional Court assesses that the PT rules are still needed, then we propose an alternative Petitum in the form of implementing PT regulations based on electoral districts, not based on national valid votes," Salahudin said at the Constitutional Court, Central Jakarta, Monday, July 28.