TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) deliberations to change a threshold requirement for nominating presidential and vice-presidential candidates is just a waste of time. In 2013, the Constitutional Court decided the election of members of the legislature and the presidential election be held simultaneously, which automatically eliminates any need for a presidential threshold.
The DPR and the government need to obey this final and binding verdict. Forcing political parties to obtain a minimal vote count to field a presidential candidate in 2019 by using the results of the 2014 election is at odds with the logic of democracy. As we know, the political situation has changed much over the past five years.
The idea of limiting the number of candidates running in a presidential election is understandable. Having too many candidates not only confuses voters, but also leads to high-cost politics. However, this drive may not reduce the essence of democracy, including adhering to the Constitution.
To date, the debate over a threshold for presidential candidates as well as a parliamentary threshold for parties to be eligible for the DPR has not been based on the substance of democracy. DPR members are more concerned with their respective short-term interests. This is why they change the rules every time a general election rolls around. Any changes often marked by gerrymandering or manipulation of the rules to benefit certain parties.
The reasons put forward for a presidential threshold are seemingly noble: setting a high threshold will create a stable government. A coalition of parties supporting a candidate will support the elected president for the length of their term. However, in reality, we all witness how members of political parties belonging to the government coalition, often act more like opposition. In the end, that promised stability never comes.
The Presidential Election Law currently being written by the House and the administration should provide an opportunity to all political parties taking part in the election to field pairs of candidates. In addition to adhering to the verdict of the Constitutional Court, this system would create congruity between the campaign promises of candidates and their supporting parties. The logic is that the parties which supported the winning presidential candidate will also receive the same large number of votes in legislative elections.
The filter for determining the number of candidates is already available: verification of the political parties taking part in elections. The regulations which must be met by parties wishing to participate are quite rigorous. They must have, among other things, party offices and officials in most regions of the country. In the 2014 election, only 10 of the more than 40 registered parties passed the verification stage. This number grew to 12 when two parties won lawsuits in court.
Verification of political parties taking part in elections should be sufficient to limit the number of presidential candidates when elections are held simultaneously. The DPR does not need to set thresholds for nominations, which is in violation of a Constitutional Court verdict.(*)
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