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View all search resultsIndirect election push sparks democratic concerns
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People check a board with candidate information on Nov. 27, 2024, before casting their ballots during the local executive elections to elect governors, mayors and regents in Darul Imarah, on the outskirts of Banda Aceh. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyudin)
O
pposition is intensifying in response to renewed efforts by government officials and the political elite to scrap direct regional head elections and return to an indirect voting system, with critics warning that such a move would represent a serious regression in Indonesia’s democratic development.
The proposal has gained traction recently amid legislative discussions to revise the country’s elections law, following a Constitutional Court ruling that staggered the timing of national and regional polls.
Several political parties have since used the momentum to push for indirect elections, where regional heads would be appointed by Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) instead of directly elected by the public.
However, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the largest party in the House of Representatives and the only de-facto opposition force, has firmly rejected the idea, arguing that dismantling direct elections would mark a regression in the country’s democratic system.
“It would be truly odd if the people's right to choose their leaders was taken away and handed over to a small group of elites in the DPRD,” PDI-P executive Deddy Sitorus said on Thursday during a party event in Denpasar, Bali. “When it comes to electing regional heads [...] we firmly believe this must remain the people's right.”
Read also: Speculation surrounds parties’ election simulations
Election law expert Titi Anggraini, who also sits on the board of supervisors at the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), echoed the concern, warning that scrapping direct elections would deal a serious blow to efforts to strengthen Indonesian democracy.
