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embers of a special committee tasked with deliberating the election bill at the House of Representatives have again decided to extend the deliberation in a bid to reach consensus on crucial provisions in the bill.

The committee earlier claimed that Tuesday was the deadline for the bill’s deliberation and that it would vote on the contentious issues in the bill. On Wednesday, a day after the deadline, the lawmakers agreed that they would need more time for lobbying.

The five contentious issues are the election system — whether it should stay as an open list or be changed to a closed-list system; the presidential threshold, which will set a minimum requirement of national votes for parties to nominate a presidential candidate; the parliamentary threshold, which will determine the number of votes required for parties to secure legislative seats; the number of seats for each electoral district and the methods of converting votes to seats.

The presidential threshold is the most contentious issue. Major parties want to retain the threshold to reduce the number of contenders in the presidential election, while the smaller parties propose that it be scrapped to allow any party to field a candidate.

The lawmakers are currently negotiating a plan to formulate a “package deal” that accommodates as many party interests as possible in the effort to avoid a vote.

Such an option has won support from all political factions although they are yet to have a clear idea of the formulation that will best end months of differences among parties.

Support for the decision to agree on one package has also come from the Home Ministry, which represents the government in the deliberation.

“To allow factions to achieve a consensus is the best way to end the prolonged discussion,” Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo told the meeting. “If you fail to achieve a consensus, you can proceed with voting in a plenary meeting.”

Tjahjo further suggested that the House hold the vote after the Islamic holiday of Idul Fitri to allow the participation of all 560 lawmakers. “There are around 200 lawmakers who are currently on haj. You will exclude their voices if you push to hold the voting now,” he argued.

The committee has yet to make a final decision on the government’s proposal although the majority of factions have given the nod to Tjahjo’s point.

Committee head Lukman Edy concluded the Wednesday meeting by inviting representatives of all factions to continue negotiations. “We need further discussion,” the National Awakening Party (PKB) lawmaker said.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has said that the protracted deliberation of the bill was worrying.

KPU chairman Arief Budiman said delaying the enactment of the bill would seriously compromise the quality of the 2019 legislative and presidential elections, adding that preparations for the 2019 elections should begin 18 months beforehand.

It does not help that the polling body has to organize the next simultaneous regional elections in June 2018. “It is very possible that the implementation will not run well because we cannot even discuss the allocation of the budget. The system that is to be regulated in the law will influence the plans on budgeting as well as the whole planning,” Arief said.  

The lawmakers, however, have dismissed such concerns. They say that a longer deliberation time is needed to produce a quality law.

“It is better for us to carefully discuss the matter. We don’t have to be rushed in deliberating it. It will not affect preparation for the election,” Arief Wibowo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said. (yon)