Proposes PT To Be 7 Percent, Surya Paloh: It's Better For NasDem Not To Enter Parliament But Indonesia Is Better

ILLUSTRATION/ANTARA PHOTOS

JAKARTA - Chairman of the NasDem Party, Surya Paloh, proposed that the parliamentary threshold (PT) of the DPR be 7 percent. According to him, this is for the sake of simplifying political parties in parliament, even from the last general election.

"That's why NasDem is trying to fully go through the process of simplifying political parties by increasing the electoral Parliamentary Threshold. NasDem proposes 7 percent, it's not just the current election but 2019 and 2014," said Paloh in a national dialogue on the 50th anniversary of CSIS Indonesia online, Monday, 23 August.

Paloh emphasized that NasDem always thinks about and prioritizes the national interest. Although 7 percent approved and NasDem did not fall within the threshold.

"But that's determination and enthusiasm. It's better for NasDem to lose, not to enter the parliament, but Indonesia is greater," said Paloh.

According to him, all political parties must seek the simplification of political parties from a multi-party system.

"We are the first selected party. We have had only three political parties resulting from multi-party becoming the selected party," he said.

"The reform era is not divided into two as we know in the US, Democrats, and Republicans, but one hundred. Now Nasdem is voicing the parliamentary threshold, it is solely in terms of the approach to simplifying political parties," he continued.

NasDem, continued Paloh, does not only think about party interests but also national interests.

"Because we don't want it, the party is only for the sake of the party. For NasDem that's not it. The party is for the interest of the nation, it's much nobler. We are fighting for this now," he said.

It is known, the draft revision of the election law and regional head elections which are included in the 2021 DPR priority national legislation program (Prolegnas) mentions an increase in the parliamentary threshold (PT) of the DPR to 5 percent.

In addition, there is a stipulation of a threshold for the Provincial DPRD at 4 percent and the Regency/City DPRD at 3 percent.

The parliamentary threshold itself is the minimum limit for a political party to be included in determining seats and placing their representatives in parliament.

It is known, Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections sets the parliamentary threshold for the DPR level at 4 percent. Meanwhile, the same law frees all political parties to participate in determining seats in the Provincial and Regency/City DPRD, aka without a threshold.

"Political parties contesting the elections for members of the DPR must meet the threshold for obtaining votes of at least 5 percent (five percent) of the number of valid votes nationally in the election for members of the DPR to be included in determining the acquisition of seats for members of the DPR," reads Article 217 of the Draft Election Bill.