6 Political Parties in the DPR Agree, the Proposal for the DPRD Election is Almost Certain to be Realized

JAKARTA - The proposal for the election of regional heads or pilkada through the Regional Representative Council (DPRD) will almost certainly materialize. The reason is, the majority of factions or the extension of the hands of political parties in the DPR RI are starting to agree that regional heads are elected by the DPRD.

Of the eight factions in the DPR, six of them have agreed on the proposal. If there is no change, the DPR RI, which has 580 members, will begin discussing revisions to the Regional Election Law (UU) and placing the clause for the election of regional heads in the new law.

The six parties that agreed to the Pilkada through the DPRD, including the Golkar Party, PKB, Gerindra Party, PAN, Democratic Party, and NasDem Party. If totaled, the votes of the six parties in this Parliament reached 417 Council members or 71.91 percent.

One of the parties that agreed with the proposal of the Chairman of the PKB Muhaimin Iskandar and the Chairman of Golkar Bahlil Lahadalia was the Gerindra Party. Secretary General of the Gerindra Party, Sugiono, assessed that the election through the DPRD was more efficient without eliminating the essence of democracy.

"Gerindra is in a position to support efforts or plans to implement this election by the DPRD at the regent, mayor or governor level," said Sugiono in a written statement, Monday, December 29.

The attitude of the Gerindra Party was then also supported by the Democratic Party. Secretary General of the Democratic Party, Herman Khaeron, confirmed that his party supported President Prabowo Subianto in responding to the regional head election system.

According to him, direct and indirect or through the DPRD, the local elections are still valid in the Indonesian democratic system. Even so, the Democrats emphasize that the discussion of the proposal must be carried out openly, democratically, and involve public participation.

"The Democratic Party is in one line with President Prabowo Subianto in responding to the regional head election system," said Herman Khaeron in a written statement on Tuesday, January 6.

Meanwhile, two political parties that are still studying the proposal for the Regional Election via the DPRD are PKS and PDIP. The two party voices, if combined, cover 163 members or 28.11 percent.

So, if later a vote is held for decision-making, then the majority of votes in the DPR will certainly ratify the gubernatorial proposal through the DPRD.

Thus, in the next Pilkada, the people will no longer choose the image of the candidate for regional head at the TPS. But, just represented by members of the DPRD, they will choose the regional head, whether governor, regent, and mayor.

If this discourse is passed by the DPR, the system of the DPRD-elected Pilkada will return to the New Order era until before the Reformasi. It is known that the direct Pilkada by the people by voting for the image of the candidate for regional head at the TPS (voting place) was held for the first time in June 2005 until the 2024 Pilkada.