Muninggar Sri Saraswati – A number of small parties have demanded that an Elections Law stipulation on the legislative threshold be postponed, saying it bars them from having their own candidates in the House of Representatives.

"We will arrange a meeting with the president, the Constitutional Court and the House to postpone the implementation of the 2.5 percent threshold," said Sys N.S., an executive of the Regional Unity Party, or PPD, after a meeting with at least 26 small parties on Thursday.

The threshold dictates that parties must receive more than 2.5 percent of the national vote for their candidates to sit in the House.

Sys said the requirement should be postponed until the 2014 elections to allow them to seat their representatives. "It's a pity as we should have got some seats in the House but we could not have our representatives due to the threshold," he said.

M. Jasin, who chairs the Labor Party of Struggle, or Pakar Pangan, said the parties had sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asking for the issuance of a government regulation in lieu of law for the postponement of the threshold.

According to the initial results of the legislative elections, only nine of the 38 national parties will pass the threshold. The other parties received less than 2.5 percent of the total votes.

The threshold is aimed at limiting the number of political parties that will serve in the House, said Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, a Golkar Party lawmaker. "The main purpose is to simplify the country's multiparty system," he said.

Experts cited over-fragmentation in the House, which often resulted in prolonged decision making. Parties that win only one seat in the House may seat their representative if they merge with a major party or group of small parties to establish a legislative faction.