Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 16:38 WIB

Minister of Home Affairs suggests separating legislative and presidential elections

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IO, Jakarta – Tjahjo Kumolo stated that his ministry has observed the campaign period, both during the presidential and legislative election, which he believes went on for too long. According to him, the campaign period should be shortened to two months. “We have lobbied several political parties, lobbied House of Representatives (DPR) and People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) leadership, including Zul (Zulkifli Hasan), we have suggested whether it be entered into law or just made an Election Commission Regulations (PKPU) revision, for the presidential election, legislative election campaign period to be shortened, to a maximum of two months,” he said in IPDN Building, Jatinangor, Sumedang, West Java, earlier this week.

Other than recommending for the campaign period to be shortened, the Minister of Home Affairs also suggested that the presidential and legislative elections be separated. Tjahjo also recommended that the Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) be made into two stages. “Simultaneously, not on the same day and hour, maybe two weeks or one month. The third is a two-stage Pilkada, in 2020 and 2024,” he said.

If there must be a merge during the general election period, Tjahjo suggests that the Regional Representative Council (DPD) elections should be the ones merged into the presidential elections or legislative elections. “The legislative elections, DPR, DPRD 1, and DPRD 2. Presidential elections can be merged with the DPD. The DPD can be merged with the legislative elections and presidential elections,” he concluded.

Before, Director of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) Titi Anggraini also suggested that the next election be separated into two parts: a national election and regional elections. She also suggested that both be done 2.5 years apart.

“That’s why from the very beginning, we proposed to not have a five-ballot paper election other than simultaneous national elections to elect the president, parliament, and DPD. Then simultaneous regional elections to vote for Provincial/Regent/City DPRD, governors, and regents and majors with a distance of 2.5 years or 30 months. The distribution of workload becomes more rational and political parties and voters can also adapt easier,” she said a while ago.

Other than that, Titi stated that the allocation system in the voting regions needed attention. According to her, this was so that the public could get to know legislative candidates in their respective regions. “Also, seat allocation in the voting regions, I believe needs to be done so the voters can be rational and know the legislative candidates and the vote-counting workload can be maintained to be more reasonable and proportional. Our suggestion for a long time now has been between a 3-6 or 3-10 voting regional allocation,” she said. (dan)

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