PDIP Jakarta Rejects Pilkada Elected By DPRD: Raises Democracy Resilience Opinion

Officers moved the ballot boxes ahead of the 2024 Pilkada direct voting process. (doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - Secretary of the PDIP faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Dwi Rio Sambodo, stated that his party rejected the discourse on regional head elections or regional elections through the appointment of the DPRD. The discourse on regional elections through the direct election was crossed out was initially proposed by President Prabowo Subianto.

According to Rio, the change in regional elections could not immediately be captured by the public as a weakening of democracy if the current political system had not been addressed.

"President Prabowo's discourse without direct elections for regional heads is carried out through the DPRD, without the lure of efforts to improve the political system, it is natural to create an opinion of Indonesia's democratic setback," Rio told reporters, Tuesday, December 17.

Rio views that the current Indonesian political system tends to be liberal and pragmatic. As if, according to him, the people are only the object of political mobilization of the rulers.

Thus, Rio emphasized that what must be prioritized is strengthening party institutions as a forum for aspirations, articulation and aggregation of the people as well as producing the best cadres as candidates for leaders.

"Our political and electoral system still has to be dialectic, openly accept criticism and continue to strive for improvements in mechanisms, both using the direct electoral system by the people and the representative system through the DPRD," Rio explained.

Previously, Prabowo invited all general chairmen and leaders of political parties who were present at the Peak of the 60th Anniversary of the Golkar Party in Bogor, West Java, Thursday, December 12, to improve the political system that consumes tens of trillions in one or two days of each election.

The DPRD's discourse on regional head elections also emerged after President Prabowo Subianto alluded to the political system in Indonesia which was considered expensive and inefficient when compared to neighboring countries.

"I see that our neighboring countries are efficient. Malaysia, Singapore, India, once they choose DPRD members, once they choose, they have chosen governors, vote for regents. Efficients, no money comes out, money comes out, money comes out, like us," said Prabowo.

Prabowo said Indonesia should not be ashamed to admit that the possibility of a political system in the country is too expensive. According to him, the faces of the winning regional head candidates also seem sluggish because of the high cost of politics.

"The winner is sluggish, especially the loser. We must dare to correct ourselves, therefore I appreciate that the general chairman of the brother is observant, I say he is intelligent. That's why Indonesian children have to eat a lot of fish," said Prabowo.