Regarding IKN And 3 New Provinces In Papua, Commission II Of The House Of Representatives Suggests Jokowi Issue A Perppu Instead Of Revising The Election Law

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Indonesia officially has three new provinces after the House of Representatives (DPR) passed three Draft Laws for the New Autonomous Region (RUU DOB) for Papua into law at the last plenary session.

The three new provinces are divisions of Papua Province, namely South Papua, Central Papua, and Papua Mountains. So that later there will be five provinces on Earth of Cenderawasih.

Regarding the addition of provinces, Commission II of the DPR advised President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) related to the implementation of the 2024 General Election.

Member of Commission II DPR Rifqinizamy Karsayuda, said the Perppu was intended to accommodate several norms in Law 7/2017 concerning General Elections as the addition of three new provinces in Papua and the National Capital (IKN) of the Archipelago.

"The House of Representatives Commission II will discuss with the government and election organizers whether (to choose) the revision of the Election Law or the President to issue a Perppu. But if you want to hurry, the President issues a Perppu," Rifqi told reporters, Monday, July 4.

So far, Rifqi continued, Commission II of the DPR RI has not discussed the revision of the Election Law with the government and election organizers regarding the emergence of new electoral districts.

However, Rifqi offered an option for President Jokowi to issue a Perppu on the issue of adding electoral districts and seats for members of the legislature. This is because, he said, the existing conditions had met the urgent element for a Perppu to be issued.

"We consider the urgency of the President to issue a Perppu related to mitigating several norms that must be changed in the Election Law and Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning Regional Elections, so that the 2024 General Election can run smoothly," he explained.

Rifqi assessed that the Perppu is also needed to regulate several norms that have not been regulated in the Election Law. Among other things, the question of the simultaneous end of the term of office of KPU and Bawaslu members in the regions as well as the codification of the dispute mechanism for handling elections and regional elections simultaneously.

This was said by Rifqi regarding the emergence of new electoral districts, including the allocation of legislative seats in three provinces in Papua and IKN Nusantara. However, according to him, Commission II of the DPR has not discussed with the government and election organizers the need to revise the Election Law or the President issues a Perppu.

"The House of Representatives Commission II will discuss this issue with the government and election organizers in the next session," he concluded.