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President to submit directive for revision of Regional Election Law to House
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Checking it twice: A committee member at a polling station in Denpasar, Bali, checks a ballot for the city’s mayoral election before handing it to a voter during a revote on Dec. 13. The revote was carried out after the local elections supervisory committee (Panwaslu) found that six people who were not on the list of eligible voters had cast votes in the election at the polling station on Dec. 9 (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
T
he government plans to submit a presidential directive to the House of Representatives in connection to a plan to revise the Regional Election (Pilkada) Law, says Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo.
"The directive will be submitted to the House within two days,” the minister said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The House plans to approve the revised regional election bill in April to give the General Elections Commission (KPU) sufficient time to prepare for regional elections that are scheduled to take place on Feb. 15, 2017. The elections will elect seven governors, 18 mayors and 76 regents.
Among the revised articles are those pertaining to funding, candidacy, dispute settlement and preventing political dynasties in the regions.
Lawmakers from House Commission II overseeing political issues, including those from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), proposed tougher requirements for independent candidates in regional elections, following Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama ‘s announcement that he will seek reelection as a independent candidate.
The lawmakers have proposed increasing the percentage of ID-backed signatures required for independent candidates from between 6.5 and 7.5 percent of eligible voters to between 10 percent and 20 percent.
The government and House are expected to deliberate the revised regional election bill in early April when lawmakers return from recess.
Jokowi previously said that a revision to the law was expected to provide elections organizers a stronger legal basis to implement elections.
“The articles within the revised law should be firm and not leave room for interpretation,” said the President during a limited Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, adding that the law should also anticipate issues that may emerge in the future.
Following the Dec. 9 regional elections, the Constitutional Court handled 151 election disputes. (bbn)
