Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The deliberation of the bill on legislative elections at the House of Representatives turned into a tense situation when the special committee assigned to read the bill and the government began discussing strategic issues Monday.
The 50-member special committee presided over by Ferry Mursyidan Baldan of the Golkar Party, was at odds over the electoral and legislative thresholds with small political parties wanting to phase out the electoral threshold claiming it contradicted true democracy.
Ryaas Rasyid, a legislator and chairman of the Democratic Unity and Nationhood Party (PPDK), called on major factions and the government to phase out the thresholds which he said contradicted the 1945 Constitution and restricted minority parties in participating in general elections.
"All legal requirements restricting the establishment of political parties and their eligibility in general elections are really against the Constitution and democracy, which should facilitate, rather than restrict, political parties in participating in elections.
"Let the parties be selected fairly and let the public determine the parties that are eligible to channel their political aspirations and form a democratic government," he said.
Ryaas' political argument was amplified by Pastor Saut Hasibuan of the Prosperous Peaceful Party (PDS), also a minority faction at the House. Pastor said the legal requirements for parties to contest elections were too restrictive and gave no opportunity for minority parties to evolve into bigger parties.
Both Ryaas and Pastor were apparently unaware of the proposed 5-percent threshold which would come into effect in 2014.
Meanwhile, parties contesting in the 2009 legislative election are required to hold 3 percent of the seats at the House as set by the 2003 Legislative Election Law.
Of 10 factions in the House, PPDK, PDS and the Reform Star Party (PBR) will not be eligible to contend the 2009 legislative election for their failure to meet the electoral threshold.
The law also requires parties headquartered in Jakarta to have chapters in 75 percent of the country's provinces and branches in 75 percent of the regencies and municipalities in the provinces. The parties must also have at least 1,000 members in each regency or municipality.
Major factions defended the proposed 5-percent electoral threshold and a legislative threshold to achieve a simple multi-party system in order to form an effective government with strong political support from the House.
Sutradara Ginting of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) hailed the higher electoral threshold in legislative and presidential elections, saying an effective government could be formed only with a strong base of support at the House.
The Golkar Party faction has proposed a 1-percent legislative threshold to allow parties to send their legislators to the House while the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction proposed 3 percent.
Both factions said parties failing to meet the legislative threshold should form a coalition with other parties to form a faction at the House.