JAKARTA - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) has not yet determined its stance regarding the discussion of local head elections (pilkada) which will be carried out directly by the people or through the Regional Representative Council (DPRD). The party with the bull symbol emphasized that a new official decision would be made after the entire series of the 2026 PDIP National Working Meeting (Rakernas) was completed.
Secretary General (Sekjen) of PDIP, Hasto Kristiyanto said, his party did not want to rush into making strategic political decisions regarding the democratic system and the sovereignty of the people. Although historically PDIP is known as a supporter of direct elections, the party still opens a space for dialogue to absorb aspirations from all party structures in the region.
"His political attitude, because later we will listen to all the proposals from the DPD, will be read at the closing of the national meeting. What is his attitude, the philosophical, ideological reasons, and also from the management of the election, all of that will be part of the recommendations of the national meeting. So, it has not been decided," said Hasto.
Hasto emphasized that PDIP wants to ensure that the decisions taken later are in line with the principle of people's sovereignty, which has long been the foundation of the party's struggle. This principle, he said, cannot be separated from the history of Indonesian democracy.
"It was aired the entire track record of the political biography of Bung Karno and Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri. In the biography it is mentioned the task of the then fifth president when holding the first direct presidential election," he said.
"That is, Ibu said how the principles of people's sovereignty as the spirit of reform must be properly maintained," continued Hasto.
Furthermore, Hasto emphasized that direct elections are not merely a technical issue of holding elections, but rather concern the legitimacy of regional leadership and the moral responsibility of regional heads to the people who choose them.
"The steering committee of the I national convention has received a lot of input from pro-democracy groups, civil society, students, as well as from party structures that expect this convention to be able to make political decisions, to maintain democracy that involves the participation of the people broadly through the implementation of direct elections," he concluded.
The discussion of changing the mechanism of the election itself has recently resurfaced and reaped pro-contras in the public space. The decision of PDIP as one of the big parties is considered to greatly affect the direction of electoral democracy policies in the future.
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