DPD Will Deeply Examine the Proposal for the Regional Election Through the DPRD or E-Voting: Efficiency Alone Is Not Enough

JAKARTA - The Chairman of the DPD Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin stated that his party would thoroughly study the proposal for the election of regional heads (Pilkada) through the DPRD or direct Pilkada through E-Voting in order to reduce the budget. According to him, efficiency alone is not enough if it is not effective and of quality.

"This DPD, we have 152 members of the faction representing 38 provinces. Friends have their own legitimacy, have their own rights, have their own legal standing to speak. So regarding the issue of the election, we cannot immediately decide this is our choice. Because we will definitely hear the voices of the people in the region, then what is the best regarding these choices," said Najamudin at the DPR/MPR building, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, January 14.

According to Najamudin's view, the direct Pilkada must be evaluated and reviewed. Especially regarding the expensive budget spent in organizing the Pilkada.

"Personally, I have conveyed my personal political experience, indeed the cost of politics in Indonesia is very expensive. We have very high political costs, starting from the DPRD, provinces, regencies, cities, regional elections, regents, mayors, governors, even presidents. Maybe the most expensive in the world. Well, based on empirical experience, many times I have participated in elections, I made a book at that time that the direct regional election or direct democracy should be reviewed," said the Senator from Bengkulu.

"Well, even my studies, I am looking for a middle ground if our idea. But again, this is not the decision of the institution. If I personally with the high cost of politics, the high cost of the state spending the budget for only the event of a gubernatorial and presidential election, the high cost of the candidate himself, then I personally see this must be reviewed again," continued Najamudin.

He assessed that the election of regional heads such as governors should not need to go through direct general elections. However, Najamudin returned the best decision to all parties, especially the public.

"Well, but not necessarily that this is immediately returned that the direct pilkada should not happen. It must be returned to the liberative or deliberative or asymmetrical. Well, personally I have said that if you want the middle point it may be the province. Well, if the province is not possible, it can still be easier. Because what? Because as a representative of the central government in the region is the province. So, to facilitate coordination in the future, it is advisable or possible for the provincial or gubernatorial pilkada may not need to be directly elected," he explained.

"But in the name of democracy, it is not possible to be directly elected. That's why there are gubernatorial elections for regents and mayors. But again, it's a personal idea. Institutionally, we haven't decided. We have to listen to the voices of the people in the region which is the best," added Najamudin.

Meanwhile, when asked about the PDI Perjuangan's suggestion that the Pilkada be directly through e-voting to minimize the practice of money politics, Najamudin emphasized that all proposals would be considered through a comprehensive study conducted by the DPR RI. Although, he said, the DPD had also come up with the same option.

"We can't decide which is the most transparent, which is the most certain not to be money politics. But we once had the same idea, e-voting is one way. Electronics make it easier or make it possible to amputate or make it possible to break the chain if manual, if you meet physically. But again, our political costs are very expensive. It's true that something can't be disputed, for sure. Is our democracy expensive? Yes," he said.

"Now we just have to wait for the results of our DPD study, which is the best. There are two angles now, yes. The angle that really wants to be re-elected by the DPRD or deliberative, or friends there are also those who want to be directly elected but maybe with a reform of the voting system," he continued.

"Everything is possible. Well, the DPD will study it in depth so that our study will not immediately make our democracy lose its meaning, lose its quality, but also the point is how to ensure that our democracy is more efficient and effective. Efficient alone is not enough if it is not effective and quality," concluded Najamudin.