The Requirement for Political Party Participation in Election Is Too Expensive and Difficult

The Joint Secretariat for the Elections Law Codification Initiative (Sekber Kodifikasi) criticizes the requirement for political party to be able to participate in elections as contained in the Law No.8/2012. The requirement is deemed too expensive and difficult. Sekber Kodifikasi also says the requirement still does not gender sensitive because it only imposes the gender quotas for political party at the national/central level.

“The administrative requirement for political party is just too expensive. The regulation says that every political party is required to establish local branches at every province and at least at 75% of all regency/municipality in Indonesia. This will cost political party a huge amount of money,” says a representative from the Sekber Kodifikasi, Titi Anggraini, during a hearing session at the House of Representative, South Jakarta (01/12).

Titi argues the government should not hamper political party participation by enforcing harsher legal requirements. According to Titi, the requirement for political party should be based on the substantial principle that the party has concrete support from the public. In addition, Titi also says that she and her colleages in Sekber hope the government would impose the 30 percent gender quotas for political party at all branch level, not only at the central level. And there should also be a requirement for party to submit their financial statement.

“We want the gender quotas to be imposed at all branch level because this is crucial for the effort to educate Indonesian women with the practice of politics,” says Titi.

Out of 10 political parties in the Parliament, three of them (Golkar, Unity and Development Party, and National Mandate Party) have expressed their agreement with the idea to impose the gender quotas at all branch level.