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View all search resultsHouse insists on leading Elections Law revision amid stalled talks
The government previously raised a plan to take over the drafting process for the General Election Law revision amid the lack of progress made by the House of Representatives on the bill, which is already included in this year’s legislature’s priority bill list.
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The Senayan legislative complex in Central Jakarta is seen in this picture taken on May 1. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
T
he House of Representatives has asserted its position to initiate the revision of the General Election Law despite months of stalled progress on the work that prompted a proposal to hand over the task to the government.
Little progress has been made on the law revision despite the bill being included in this year’s House National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) priority bills. All eight House parties reportedly have yet to reach any agreement on which provisions of the law should be amended, leaving the revision in limbo.
House deputy speaker Saan Mustopa of pro-government NasDem Party stressed the legislature, dominated by pro-government parties, still has the capacity to lead the deliberation process. Lawmakers would begin discussions on the revision at “the right time”, he said without elaborating further.
Saan explained the House was still in the early stages of reviewing the bill and had not yet started formal deliberations, as it still awaits assessments from each political party on the proposed changes before entering formal discussions.
“We are taking all factors into account to ensure that future revision to the General Election Law will be truly comprehensive, covering all aspects of electoral matters in greater depth,” Saan said on May 1, as quoted by Antara.
He highlighted the revision must be aligned with multiple Constitutional Court rulings on how the country should conduct its next elections that have yet to be implemented. One of the rulings ordered a recalculation of the existing 4-percent national vote threshold political parties must meet to secure seats in the House.
The ruling, issued in February 2024, has sparked debates among political parties of all sizes, both with or without House seats. Opinions are divided on whether the new legislative threshold should be lowered, raised or abolished entirely.
