Jakarta – The deliberation of the presidential election bill goes into full swing Monday, with the most contentious issue being the minimum threshold necessary to nominate a presidential candidate.
The House of Representatives is split over the issue as it gears up for the debate with the government, which has proposed that only political parties or coalitions that secure 15 percent of the House seats or 20 percent of popular votes in the legislative election are allowed to contest the presidential election.
The Golkar Party, the largest faction with 129 of 550 House seats, and the conflict-ridden National Awakening Party insist the threshold should be increased to 30 percent of House seats.
Golkar lawmaker Muhammad Sofhian Mile said efficiency was the motive behind the tougher requirement. "There would be only three presidential candidates qualified and this would ensure the election lasts only one round, which is far cheaper for us," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
The requirement would force political parties to build a relatively permanent coalition, he said, which would result in a more solid and stable government.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the second-largest House faction, supports the government's position, as do the United Development Party, the Democratic Party, the Prosperous Justice Party and the Prosperous Peace Party.
Agus Purnomo of the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party said the government's proposal was moderate and would open a chance for less popular but capable figures to contest the presidential election.
"If only three candidates are able to contest, I think we easily know who they are," Agus said. His party, he added, would fight to defend a ruling that promotes as many candidates as possible.
The National Mandate Party and two other smaller factions, the Star Reform Party and the Democratic Pioneer Star Party, are demanding a more lenient threshold ranging from 2.5 percent to 15 percent of the popular vote. They propose that all parties qualifying for the legislative election be able to name presidential candidates.
Chairman of the House's special committee deliberating the bill, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, said the nomination threshold was one of the most contentious issues facing the lawmakers. However, he believed the debate would not slow the deliberation process.
The House expects to pass the bill in July or August at the latest. The presidential election will take place three months after the legislative elections on April 5. (alf)