This Is What Activists and Chief of the Special Committee Say About the New Elections Law

After discussing it for nine months, members of the Parliament finally pass the new Elections Law Bill in the Final Discussion Meeting on July 20^th 2017. The Chairman of the Parliament, Setya Novanto, announced that members of the Parliament agreed to implement policy-package A as the new Elections Law after four political parties that supported option B decided to resign.

The Elections Law is passed after being discussed 67 times by the Parliament members.

What the Activists and Elections Expert Say About the New Law

The Executive Director of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), Titi Anggraini, says, she is disappointed that the new Elections Law will contain 20 percent of presidential threshold. According to Titi, this provision is unconstitutional and will hamper the electoral process of the 2019 National Elections.

“I am disappointed by the fact that the government and Parliament members include that provision,” says Titi.

Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of People’s Voters Education Network (JPPR), Sunanto, says that the new Elections Law is still containing some problems. Several privisions in the Law, according to Sunanto, is in contradictory position with the Constitution.

“Especially the provision on presidential threshold. It is very likely that this provision will be sued at the Constitutional Court,” says Sunanto.

An ex-member of the Elections Commission, Hadar Nafis Gumay, says that there are some improvements and some setbacks in the new Elections Law. Hadar hopes the Elections Commission will be able to compensate those setbacks with proper Commissions’ Regulations (PKPU).

What the Chief of the Special Committee for the New Elections Law Say About the New Law

The Chief of the Special Committee for the new Elections Law Bill, Muhammad Lukman Edy, says that he regrets the decision of four political parties who resigned from the final discussion process.

“I regret the decision made by the four political parties. However, decision has to be made,” says Edy.

Edy also says that he and his team are ready if many people sue the Elections Law to the Constitutional Court. According to Edy, suing legal product to the Constitutional Court is the proper way to express disagreement.

“I’ve heard the news that there are many people who want to sue the Law to the Constitutional Court, like Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Mahfud M. D., and Refly Harun. We are ready for that,” says Edy.

Edy also expresses his gratitude for NGO activists, mass media, elections experts, and many other people who have helped the Special Committee to disseminate the Bill to the public.