Changing Attitudes About The Election Law, NasDem Now Rejects Revision And Supports The 2024 Pilkada Due To Surya Paloh's Order

Chairman of the NasDem Party Surya Paloh (Photo: partainasdem.id)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the NasDem Party, Surya Paloh, has instructed his party cadres in the Indonesian Parliament not to continue the revision of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections. He also asked his party cadres to support the 2024 Pilkada.

The reason for this change in attitude is because Indonesia is currently struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic and is trying to make economic recovery. So, all political parties in the government coalition must solidly support this recovery effort.

"The aspirations and duties of NasDem are the same as the President, namely for the progress and a better future of the nation," said Surya Paloh in his written statement to reporters quoted on Saturday, February 6.

He said, as a political party, NasDem had an obligation to critically examine every policy. However, this party still prioritizes the interests of the nation and state above those interests.

With the emergence of this instruction, the DPR RI NasDem Party faction and its ranks will carry out and oversee Surya Paloh's direction.

Previously, Commission II of the DPR RI submitted a draft Law on General Elections. In Article 731 of the draft Election Bill, the 2022 Pilkada is carried out to elect regional heads from the 2017 elections, while the 2023 Pilkada is for regional head elections from the 2018 elections.

Deputy Chairman of Commission II DPR from the NasDem Faction, Saan Mustopa said, the Election Bill proposed by the DPR normalized the pilkada stages.

"So, what should be enacted in 2024, we normalize 2022 as a result of the 2017 regional elections, and the 2023 regional elections as a result of the 2018 regional elections will still be carried out," said Saan, some time ago.

Saan said that almost all party factions in parliament agreed that the next pilkada would be held in 2022 and 2023. However, one PDI-P faction noted that his party actually wanted the pilkada to be harmonized in 2024. However, the PDIP votes lost to almost all factions in the DPR. .

"Most of them want the pilkada cycle to be like now. Well, outside of that, PDIP alone will provide notes. Others want it to be normalized," explained Saan.