Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Lawmakers at the House of Representatives have deadlocked on plans to amend Law No. 42/2008 on presidential elections.

The House cannot agree whether to continue to limit the appointment of presidential candidates to parties that hold a minimum of 20 percent of seats at the House or that win 25 percent of the popular vote in the next legislative election.

Members of the House legislative committee (Baleg) walked out of their meeting without any deals on Tuesday, and agreeing to reconvene on April 4 and resume debate on the threshold.

Backing the current threshold stand are lawmakers from the Democratic Party, the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Golkar lawmaker Ali Wongso Halomoan Sinaga, for example, said that the current law was acceptable, as it has set the needed ground rules for the 2014 presidential election, including the threshold.

Meanwhile, lawmakers from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party and Hanura wanted the threshold lowered to 10 percent to allow minor political parties to nominate presidential candidates.

Only the Democratic Party, with 148 lawmakers in the House, meets the current 20 percent threshold of 112 seats outright, followed closely by Golkar (106 seats) and the PDI-P (94 seats), which have been able to meet the threshold by forming coalitions with smaller parties.

The next largest party in the House, the PKS, is the only party to breach a hypothetical 10 percent threshold with 57 seats.

Gerindra lawmaker Martin Hutabarat said that the current threshold would create a stumbling block for smaller parties such as his own, with 26 seats, to nominate presidential candidates.

"We will have the same old choices in the next election. This will be unfortunate because I think that the people have the right to have more choices. We must also remember that every politician has the same opportunity to run for president," Martin said.

The United Development Party (PPP) faction (38 seats) abstained from the debate. "We're ready to move on to the next step. We will support any decision that can be the best for all," PPP lawmaker Dimyati Natakusumah said.

Meanwhile, Baleg chairman Ignatius Mulyono said that the lawmakers needed to hammer out their differences.

"One thing is certain that we will make a decision early next month, because we are racing against time to prepare for the presidential election," Ignatius said.

Baleg is expected to present its final decision on the threshold before the House plenary meeting slated for April 14.