Having Not Spoken About Politics For A Long Time, SBY Was Surprised That There Was An Impetus To The Closed Election System

The 6th President of the Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or SBY. (Between)

JAKARTA - The 6th President of the Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or SBY has opened his voice regarding the lawsuit for the re-implementation of a closed proportional system in the 2024 General Election. The Election Law lawsuit is still ongoing at the Constitutional Court (MK).

"I haven't talked about politics for a long time. I'm starting to be interested in the issue of replacing the electoral system, from an open proportional system to a closed proportional system," SBY said in his statement, quoted on Sunday, February 19.

SBY also admitted that he was surprised that the electoral system wanted to be changed when the stages of the democratic party had started. "Is it right that in the midst of a well-planned and well-prepared journey, especially by political parties participating in the election, suddenly a very fundamental rule is made to change?" said SBY.

According to SBY, state institutions, both executive, legislative and judicial should not simply use their power and then make very basic changes related to people's overall lives.

The chairman of the Democratic Party's High Council also argued that changing the electoral system was not an ordinary decision and policy or commonly carried out in the process and activities of national management.

Therefore, SBY emphasized that the public needs to be talked to regarding the two electoral systems, both open and closed, from mechanisms to the impact of their implementation.

"We must open ourselves up and want to hear the views of other parties, especially the people. The people really need to be given a clear explanation of the plan to replace the electoral system. What is different between an open system and a closed system," explained SBY.

In this case at the Constitutional Court, the plaintiff requested that the election implement a closed proportional system so that legislative candidates are no longer directly elected by the people but through political parties.

The decision on the Election Law case will soon be announced by the Constitutional Court in the future.

"They must know that if what is used is a closed proportional system, they must choose the desired political party. Furthermore, it is political parties that essentially determine then who will be their representative. Meanwhile, if the proportional system is open, the people can choose their party, they can choose someone they trust can be their representative," he said.