Presidential Treshold 20 Percent Removed, PKB: MK Returns To Legislators

Deputy Speaker Of The House Of Representatives From The PKB Faction Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal

JAKARTA - Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives from the PKB faction, Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal, said that the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) which abolished the presidential nomination threshold or the 20 percent presidential threshold needs to be fully observed.

Because, according to him, the Constitutional Court returns to the legislators, namely the executive and legislature to formulate new provisions in the revision of the electoral law.

"The MK returns that it is to make effectiveness rather than the president of this threshold. So, it will be returned to what pattern will be taken by lawmakers between the government and the DPR," said Cucun, Friday, January 17.

According to Cucun, there is still room for discussion between the government and the DPR regarding the Constitutional Court's decision. It could be that the legislators agree that a threshold is still needed, although not 20 percent.

"It's still not said that the fix can actually be 0 percent, for example, from 20 percent it is reduced to 15 percent, down to 10 percent. That's not going to hit the Constitutional Court's decision either," said Cucun.

The abolition of the 20 percent presidential nomination threshold is said to open up space for all political parties participating in the election to nominate presidential-vice presidential candidates.

However, on the one hand, Cucun views that the party still needs a combination of supporting coalitions so that logistical needs during the election are met.

"Yes, because political support was needed, of course it is impossible for a party to dare to advance without the strength of the coalition," he explained.

The abolition of the presidential threshold or the presidential nomination threshold of 20 percent by the Constitutional Court invites various reactions.

Praise certainly comes from small and new political parties, as it raises their hopes of carrying out their own presidential and vice presidential candidates, without the need to join major political parties.

The request for a change in the threshold for presidential candidacy was submitted by four students of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta. They are Enika Maya Oktavia, Rizki Maulana Syafei, Faisal Nasirul Haq, and Tsalis Khoirul Fatna, by submitting the argument that Article 222 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections limits the rights of voters and small parties. The Court won their demands on January 2, 2025.

The presidential threshold has experienced 32 re-review applications to be abolished, but only in the 33rd request was granted by the Constitutional Court.

"The Court understands that this threshold benefits big political parties, or at least contestants who have seats in the DPR," said Saldi Isra, Judge of the Constitutional Court when delivering the verdict.