'Don't Trial Our Democracy,' Labor Party Rejects Pilkada Through DPRD

Labor Party President Said Iqbal gave a statement to reporters in Jakarta, Wednesday (31/7/2025). BETWEEN/Fianda Sjofjan Rassat

JAKARTA - Labor Party President Said Iqbal rejected the discourse on regional head elections through the DPRD or the indirect regional election system. He considered the discourse to be against the spirit of reform that had brought Indonesia to the direct election system.

"The Labor Party strongly rejects the idea for regional head elections, even presidential or vice presidential elections through representatives, whether through the DPRD for regional heads or through the MPR for presidential elections," Said Iqbal said at a press conference in Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, July 31.

According to Said, the direct electoral system is an important achievement of the 1998 reform movement that must be maintained and maintained.

"Reformation corrects the mistakes we have made. Not long ago, 1998 to 2025 has only been around for how many years. We must continue to believe that what is being fought for in reform must be enforced," said Said.

Said also highlighted the comparison with the electoral college system in the United States which is often used as a justification for the indirect electoral system. He considered that the system was not suitable for implementation in Indonesia.

America uses an electoral college because it adheres to a federal system and it's been going on for hundreds of years. Indonesia cannot immediately imitate it," he said.

He emphasized that Indonesia has its own distinctive democratic system, namely Pancasila democracy. In this system, deliberation and consensus is prioritized without eliminating the voices of the people.

“Indonesia jangan selalu menjadi uji coba untuk perubahan. Kita bukan demokrasi barat juga bukan demokrasi timur. Kita adalah demokrasi Pancasila yang mengedepankan asas musyawarah mufakat tetapi tidak meniadakan suara rakyat, yaitu pemilihan secara langsung,” tegas Said.

- https://voi.id/berita/500377/urungkan-niat-relokasi-pedagang-pasar-taman-puring-pascakebakaran-pramono-ada-persoalan-di-lapangan

- https://voi.id/berita/500470/curhat-pedagang-pasar-taman-puring-kehilangan-segalanya-karena-ludes-terbakar

- https://voi.id/berita/500427/puslabfor-polri-teliti-sampel-abu-untuk-ungkap-penyebab-kebakaran-pasar-taman-puring

- https://voi.id/berita/500046/kpk-sebut-pasal-perintangan-penyidikan-bisa-beri-efek-jera-usai-hasto-ajukan-gugatan-ke-mk

- https://voi.id/berita/500743/17-masalah-ditemukan-kpk-di-ruu-kuhap-wamenkumham-bilang-sudah-dibahas

[/see_also]

Indonesia should not always be a trial for change. We are not a western democracy nor an eastern democracy. We are a Pancasila democracy that puts forward the principle of deliberation and consensus but does not eliminate the voices of the people, namely direct elections," said Said.