8 Political Parties Rejects Closed Proportional, Asks KPUs Not To Have An Interpretation Of The Election System Lawsuit To The Constitutional Court

8 political parties (Photo: Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - Eight political parties in the DPR RI agreed to reject the discourse on the 2024 Election system proportionally closed. The eight parties are Golkar, Gerindra, NasDem, PKB, Democrats, PKS, PAN, and PPP. Deputy General Chairperson of NasDem Ahmad Ali asked the General Election Commission (KPU) not to be involved in the polemic of this electoral system by outlining the interpretation of the election system lawsuit which is currently being submitted to the Constitutional Court (MK). "Nasdem hopes that the KPU will implement the law to implement the constitution. The KPU should not interpret something that has not yet taken place. Today our election is being tested, meaning that the KPU must stick to the existing law," Ali said after a statement. 8 political parties in South Jakarta, Sunday, January 8. Similarly, the General Chairperson of the Golkar Party also asked the KPU to continue to carry out the stages of the 2024 General Election as mutually agreed and contained in the regulations that had been issued. "The KPU continues to carry out its duties as an election organizer by maintaining neutrality and independence in accordance with statutory regulations," he explained. In the statement of the 8 political parties' stance, Airlangga emphasized that they agreed to reject proportionally closed and have a commitment to maintain the progress of democracy in Indonesia which has been carried out since the reform era. "The closed proportional election system is a setback for our democracy," said Airlangga. Meanwhile, according to them, the proportional electoral system is open, a manifestation of democracy based on people's sovereignty, where the people can determine legislative candidates nominated by political parties. "The open proportional election system is the right choice and has complied with the decision of the Constitutional Court Number 22-24/PUU-VI/2008 on December 23, 2008 which has been carried out in three elections and the lawsuit against jurisprudence will set a bad precedent for our law and not in line with the principle of ne bis in idem," explained Airlangga. For information, as many as six people, namely Demas Brian Wicaksono (applicants I), Yuwono Pintadi (applicants II), Fahrurrozi (applicants III), Ibnu Rachman Jaya (applicants IV), Riyanto (applicants V), and Nono Marijono (applicants VI) submitted a judicial review of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections related to an open proportional system to the Constitutional Court. The application is registered with case number 114/PUU-XX/2022. If the judicial review lawsuit is granted by the Constitutional Court, the 2024 Election system will change to a closed proportional system, where with this closed system the voters are only presented with the political party logo on the ballot, not the name of the party cadre who participates in the legislative election. KPU chairman Hasyim Asy'ari previously talked about the possibility that the General Election system or the 2024 General Election would return to using a closed proportional system. He said the system was being discussed through the Constitutional Court trial. However, Hasyim explained, it was only an assumption based on the existence of a lawsuit at the Constitutional Court regarding the current electoral law. So it is not a proposal from the KPU but from the current electoral factual conditions. "So maybe prospective election participants can get ready and follow developments if the Court grants the lawsuit," he said during the KPU Year End Note event at the KPU office, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Thursday, December 29, 2022.