The Constitutional Court's Decision Can Remove The Parliamentary Threshold And Encourage More Open Democracy

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra (ANTARA)

DENPASAR Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, stated that the Constitutional Court (MK) has the opportunity to cancel the parliamentary threshold or parliamentary threshold of four percent of the national legitimate vote.

"After there is a decision regarding the presidential threshold, it is likely that the Constitutional Court will also cancel the parliamentary threshold which has been an issue for political parties," Yusril Ihza Mahendra told ANTARA, Tuesday, January 14.

Yusril assessed that the Constitutional Court's decision to cancel the threshold for presidential and vice presidential nominations (presidential threshold) by 20 percent will affect the provisions of the parliamentary threshold.

According to him, this decision provides new hope for political parties to develop in a healthier Indonesian democracy.

"This decision provides an opportunity for political parties to have representatives of the people in the DPR RI," he said.

He added, with the Constitutional Court's decision, the government will formulate new legal norms in the political field by using guidelines from the Constitutional Court's final and binding decision.

This formulation will later be applied in legislative elections as well as presidential and vice presidential elections without any more rules related to the threshold.

"Especially related to five guidelines or called consolidational engineering which needs to be formulated in the future. I think the government must respect and accept the Constitutional Court's decision with a big soul," he said.

On the other hand, Yusril believes that parties with few seats in parliament can form a joint faction with other parties.

"My personal opinion is that it is better to limit the number of factions in the DPR, a maximum of 10 factions. So, if a party has a seat of less than 10 percent, they can form a joint faction," he added.