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Tired of thresholds? Consider a first-past-the-post electoral system
A major advantage of the FPTP system is that much of the power in controlling House members resides with constituents and out of the hands of party bosses.
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Delegations of partnering countries and international organizations observe the vote counting process at a polling station in Badung, Bali on Feb. 14, 2024. Thirty three delegations from 17 countries and international parliamentary organizations participated in the House of Representatives' Election Visit Program to observe voting day for Indonesia’s 2024 general election. (Antara/Fikri Yusuf)
We seem to be having endless debates about the ideal vote threshold for political parties to earn seats in the House of Representatives. Now, the Constitutional Court has joined the fray, ruling the 4 percent limit unconstitutional but refraining from offering its own number, saying that is for lawmakers to decide.
The legislative threshold is necessary for the open-list proportional representation system, which we have used in all five general elections since 2004, including last month.
In the national legislative election, the country is divided into 77 districts, each offering between six and 10 House seats. Seats are allocated proportionally to parties in each district according to the votes they win, but if they fail to gain at least 4 percent of the total national vote, they forfeit their seats in the national legislature.
In every election, the threshold issue comes up for debate, usually raised by parties that are worried about meeting it. Going by the current vote tally for the Feb. 14 legislative election, the Islamist United Development Party (PPP) may miss the cut-off for the first time in its 50-year history, while the new Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) may just make it.
The court ruling dismissing the threshold does not apply for 2024.
Is 4 percent too high or too low? The debate will come up again before 2029 as the House will have to set a new threshold. Judging by the debate, it could go up or down irrespective of the court ruling. The number can only be arbitrary, determined by big parties in the House.
How do we avoid this debate without undermining democracy?
