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Govt wants presidential threshold maintained in election bill
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Home Affairs Ministry Tjahjo Kumolo (left) attends a work meeting at the House of Representatives’ Commission II, which oversees regional affairs, in Jakarta on Dec. 6, 2016. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
T
he government is backing a proposal to maintain a provision on the presidential threshold in the election bill being deliberated at the House of Representatives.
The provision will provide evidence of legitimate support for anyone looking to run for the presidency it says.
Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said a presidential threshold was important to ensure an "effective" election, during which all candidates must have adequate support to get elected.
“Any candidates running in a presidential election will have to be supported by political parties that have been proven to be capable of garnering support from voters, not merely supported by a party and wealth," Tjahjo said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Friday.
It was previously reported that there was growing support in the House of Representatives for a lowering of the current presidential threshold, particularly from parties in the opposition coalition who say they want an "equal opportunity" for a presidential nomination.
Only three of 10 factions at the House are still in favor of the minimum 20 percent voter support requirement for a presidential nomination. They are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Nasdem Party and the Golkar Party. (mos/ebf)
