Jakarta
An election watchdog, the Association of Elections and Democracy (Perludem), is challenging a provision on the legislative threshold at the Constitutional Court, asserting that the provision was made without clear and transparent scientific grounds and, therefore, undermines democracy. The disputed provision in the 2017 General Elections Law stipulates that all political parties competing in the elections must secure at least 4 percent of the national vote in order to acquire seats at the House of Representatives. Perludem is demanding that the court order lawmakers to include a measurable, rational and transparent formula for determining the threshold in the provision. The petition was filed last Thursday, as major parties in the House are seeking to raise the requirement to acquire seats in the House from 4 percent of the vote to 7 percent through a draft bill to revise the la...