64 Percent of Candidate Number 1 Elected in the 2024 Election

A researcher from the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), Heroik Pratama, said that 64 percent of the legislative candidates elected in the 2024 elections were legislative candidates with serial number 1. Meanwhile, 19.31 percent of the elected legislative candidates had serial number 2, 5.52 percent had serial number 1, sequence 3, and the rest is spread over other sequence numbers.

“So, since the 2009 election, when we implemented a proportional open list until the 2024 election, it turned out that serial numbers had an effect on the electability of legislative candidates. Especially for the DPR, because the data we take is from the DPR. “Indeed, on average, more than 60 percent of legislative members are those placed in number 1,” explained Heroik in the discussion “Women’s Electability and Prospects for Women’s Representation Post-2024 Election,” which was broadcast on the Luludem YouTube account (29/5).

According to Heroik, the election of legislative candidates at number 1 in the open list proportional system is an anomaly. An open-list proportional system based on candidate figures. Candidates with any serial number should have a chance and can be elected if they get the most votes.

“In an open proportional system, serial numbers should not have any effect. If legislative candidate number 5 gets the most votes and his party gets a seat, he is elected. “Well, in the context of voter behavior in Indonesia, maybe voters see that the good thing is number 1,” said Heroik.

In terms of increasing women’s representation in parliament, Heroik proposed that political parties place women at numbers 1 and 2 in potential electoral districts. Voter behavior in Indonesia still prioritizes choosing candidates at the top of the ranking list. []