TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Eight factions in the DPR RI urged the Constitutional Court not to grant a judicial review regarding the General Election system (Election) which will be decided in the near future. They refuse to use closed proportional system in the 2024 election.
The chairman of the Golkar faction, Kahar Muzakir, stated that they still support an open proportional system as it has been in effect since the 2009 election. He considers this system to be the best for a democratic climate in Indonesia.
“The open system has been in effect for a long time and perhaps there are no weaknesses,” said Chairman of the Golkar faction Kahar Muzakir at the DPR Building, Jakarta, Tuesday, May 30, 2023.
Golkar is one of eight factions in the DPR that expressed this rejection. Apart from Golkar, 7 other faction heads also expressed their rejection in a press conference held at the DPR Building today. The faction leaders included PPP, PKB, Gerindra, Nasdem, PAN, PKS, Democrats. Only PDIP was not present at the press conference because it supports a closed proportional system.
Denny Indrayana said that the Constitutional Court would decide that the 2024 election would use a closed proportional system
A lawsuit against the electoral system was filed by PDIP cadres, Brian Demas Wicaksono and a number of other people since last year. Constitutional law expert Denny Indrayana claimed to have received information that the Constitutional Court would decide that the election would return to a closed proportional system or a party voting system.
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Denny said that he received information that there were 6 constitutional judges who approved the lawsuit, while 3 others stated that they had different opinions or dissenting opinion.
Constitutional Court spokesman Fajar Laksono denied Denny’s statement that his party had made a decision regarding the judicial review of the Election Law. Fajar stated that the new judges would hold a Judge Deliberative Meeting (RPH) after the interested parties submitted a summary of their opinions today. Even so, Fajar stated that his party would investigate the alleged leak of the MK decision.
300 thousand candidates threatened to lose their rights
Kahar says when Constitutional Court change the system, it will undermine the ongoing election process. He said political parties had registered their legislative candidates with the General Elections Commission at the district/city, provincial and DPR RI levels. The number of registrants in each party, he said, reached 20 thousand people.
“So if there are 15 political parties, the number of registrants will reach 300 thousand people,” he said.
“If they impose a closed proportional system, the candidates will lose their constitutional right to be elected in an open proportional system,” he said.
The Court was asked to be consistent with the previous decision
The head of the PAN faction, Saleh Partaonan Daulay, said that the Constitutional Court should have rejected the lawsuit against the closed proportional system. Because, he said, previously the Constitutional Court had also decided that elections should be held openly.
“He said that the decision of the MK is final and binding, even if there are people who test it, it should not be approved,” he said.
Leader of the Party faction NasDem Roberth Rouw said President Joko Widodo must take a stand regarding the issue of the Constitutional Court’s decision that would restore a closed proportional system. He said the President must ensure that the General Election is held with an open proportional system.
“We ask the President to also support what is the hope of the people,” he said.
2023-05-30 12:21:18
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