Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Amid growing pressure from larger political parties, six medium-size parties have proposed increasing the parliamentary threshold to 3 percent in an upcoming revision of the general elections law.
Abdul Malik Haramin, a legislator of the National Awakening Party (PKB), which initiated the central axis coalition of six medium-sized parties – the PKB, National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) – said all of the parties wanted the threshold changed to 3 percent from the current 2.5 percent, as part of an ongoing review of the General Elections Law 2008.
"The establishment of the central axis is a reaction to the arrogance of big parties wanting the parliamentary threshold figure to become 4 percent or more," he said on Wednesday.
Small and big party factions at the working committee preparing the law revision have been at odds over the threshold figure, which currently stands at 2.5 percent.
The Democratic Party backed up by the government wants an increase to 4 percent while the Golkar Party and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) have proposed a 5 percent rate as a way to pursue a simpler multi-party system, to strengthen the presidential system and form an effective government.
In the 2009 legislative election, the Democratic Party earned the largest total vote, with 20.8 percent, while Golkar and the PDI-P garnered 14.45 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
The six small factions have proposed an increase of 0.5 percent to 3 percent to maintain pluralism and the representation of minor parties at the House of Representatives. Each of the six parties pocketed 3 to 8 percent of votes in 2009.
Representing barely 40 percent of the seats at the House, the central axis parties will likely be defeated by the three big parties in the threshold talks if they fail to convince other parties to join their cause.
PAN Deputy Chairman Viva Yoga Mauladi said the six parties would continue to seek political support from small parties to stand up to the larger ones. "We are consolidating our forces to fight for 3 percent," he said.
Golkar Deputy Chairman Priyo Budi Santoso denounced the mounting criticism, saying he appreciated the central axis' establishment, but added that all parties had to work hard in the coming three years to improve their performance ahead of the 2014 legislative elections.
"The big three have no guarantee that they will win more than 3 percent of House seats in 2014, therefore they have to work hard in the next three years. We are all starting from zero," he said. He said his party was ready to discuss an ideal threshold figure with other parties in the ruling coalition.
The battle for the minimum threshold is related to the presidential race in 2014.
General-turned-businessman Prabowo Subianto, who was recently declared a favorite by pollsters, is the chief patron of Gerindra. High-ranking politicians of the party have endorsed him as the sole candidate in the race. Prabowo is seen as a strong contender for 2014 along with businessman Aburizal Bakrie, an official candidate and party chairman of Golkar.
Aburizal said during the party's leadership meeting last week that his party would fight for an increase to 5 percent of the parliamentary threshold to strengthen the presidential system and avoid any ruling coalition in the future.
Saan Mustofa, secretary of the PD faction at the House, said his faction was open to further discussions with others to reach a consensus because the proposed 4 percent figure was "a fixed price". "The Democratic Party is open to further discussions with plausible reasons to reach a consensus," he said shortly.
The three big parties have also proposed that the parliamentary threshold be imposed not only at the House but also in provincial, regency and municipal legislatures.