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AKARTA: Small poltical parties met the leaders of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, demanding major political parties keep the legislative threshold at 2.5 percent.

“We demand that political parties do not revise the previous law,” Didi Suprianto, the secretary-general of the alliance of political parties, said on Wednesday.

The 2008 General Elections Law states that a political party has to garner at least 2.5 percent of the vote to secure a seat in the House of Representatives.

Lawmakers from major political parties in the House have proposed to increase the figure from between 3 to 5 percent.

House Speaker Marzuki Alie said he would present the proposal to other parties soon.

“Such input will soon be formulated that we will pass it to all faction leaders,” Marzuki said on Wednesday as quoted by Tribunnews.com.

A similar opinion was also expressed by the deputy speaker of the House, Pramono Anung. He said that the House could not immediately grant the request made by the 23 small parties.

“I cannot say yes right away; this must be submitted to all the factions to be discussed together,” he said.

As many as 23 non-legislative political parties, with various ideological backgrounds and grouped under the National Union Forum (FPN), met the four House speakers. These small parties objected to the revision of the 2008 General Elections Law.

The long-standing discussion on the amendment of the 2008 General Elections Law at the House’s legislative body has stepped forward this week after completing the bill’s draft, ready for deliberation.