CSIS Proposes Lowering the Threshold of the Parliament in Stages, PAN: We Want There to Be Elimination

DPR/MPR/DOK ANTARA building

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the PAN Eddy Soeparno responded to the proposal of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to gradually lower the parliamentary threshold in two election cycles.

Eddy said that his party has always wanted the parliamentary threshold of 4 percent to be abolished.

"Yes, we are among the parties that have always wanted the abolition of the threshold, both for the presidential election and for legislative elections, yes. Because we see that with the threshold there are millions of voters who cannot be accommodated in the DPR because their party does not pass, and that number is not small, tens of millions," said Eddy at the DPR building, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday, January 29.

"Therefore, PAN believes that the abolition of the threshold for parliament, should be implemented, or, its implementation in accordance with what is currently happening in the district and provincial DPRD, districts/cities and provinces yes," he continued.

However, the legislator from the West Java District assessed that there should be limits to the Fractions in the DPR/DPRD so that there is no conflict between parties. And rules are made in the revision of the Election Law regarding the joint faction for the most votes in the legislature so that they can also convey the aspirations of their voters.

"There are many parties but limited factions. Limited factions, it will remain limited. So yes, it will be like what the arrangement will be that a certain percentage, below a certain percentage must form a faction, yes, it will be later in this, it must form a joint faction, it will be later regulated in the electoral law," said Eddy.

"But this is our view, our view with consideration only that. There are many voices of aspirations from the public that are wasted and that number is tens of millions and it has happened in several elections in the past. So I think it's one of the efforts for us to improve our democratic system so that all the choices of the public can still be voiced in the DPR," continued the deputy chairman of the MPR.

Previously, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) proposed a number of strategic changes related to the revision of the Election Law. One of them is to propose that the parliamentary threshold be gradually lowered in two election cycles.

This was conveyed by the Head of the Political Department of CSIS Arya Fernandes in a Public Hearing (RDPU) with Commission II of the DPR on Tuesday, January 20. Arya said that gradually lowering the parliamentary threshold was one of the priorities.

"What about the implementation (threshold) in the 2029 election? In my opinion, we need to lower the threshold gradually in two election cycles," said Arya.