President Jokowi: Simplifying the Presidential Threshold is Important for Indonesia

INDUSTRY.co.id - Cikarang - President Joko Widodo confirmed that the simplification of the presidential threshold to 20 percent in the Election Law is important for Indonesia's political vision in the future.

"This questioning the 'presidential treshold' of 20 percent, why not always crowded? Simplification is very important in the framework of our political vision in the future," said President Joko Widodo in Cikarang, Friday (28/07/2017)

It was responded to the statement of Gerindra Party Chairman Prabowo Subianto when meeting with Chairman of the Democratic Party Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at Cikeas on Thursday (27/7).

"Because we do not want to be laughed at history, the power is willing to rule 5.10, 50 years, but at the end of history judge Gerindra does not want to follow the thing against logic, 20 percent 'presidential threshold' is a political joke that cheats people, I do not want Involved, " Prabowo said.

At that time, Prabowo emphasized that Gerindra was not responsible for the election law.

"We've had 2 times 'presidential treshold' 20 percent in 2009 and 2014, why not always crowded?" the President added.

The president pointed out that if the "presidential treshold" is 0 percent as the non-coalition parties want, the president will find it difficult to get support in parliament.

"Just imagine, I want to give an example, if (presidential treshold) 0 percent, then one party to run and then win, imagine later in Parliament, in parliament we are 38 percent of it," said the President.

The president hopes that the people will understand the government's goal to put the 20 percent "presidential treasury".

"This is a political process that people must understand, not in what is being pulled as if the 20 percent 'presidential treshold' is wrong," said the President.

Moreover, the Election Law is also a product of the House of Representatives and the government, not merely the government.

"Once again this product of democracy in the House of Representatives is the product of the House of Representatives, not the government, there is also a mechanism of democratic process in the House of Representatives and yesterday also has been diketok and acclamation, right? Well that is what people should see," said President.

If anyone is not satisfied with the Election Law, President Joko Widodo also invited to submit a judicial review to the Constitutional Court.

"So yes it is assessed, if there are still some who disagree, back again to the Constitutional Court, this is the democracy and the state of law that we have, I remember, once asked and followed (presidential treshold 20 percent), why now so different? The President added to the media crew.

The House of Representatives plenary session on Friday (21/7) approved the Bill on the Implementation of General Elections to be passed into law by acclamation despite the walk out of Gerindra Party Faction, PKS Fraction, PAN Faction, and Democratic Faction.

During the meeting 322 members of the House of Representatives approved package A of 20-25 percent "presidential threshold", parliamentary threshold of 4 percent, open election system, DPR-electoral magnitude or seat size of 3-10 and the method of sound conversion Using pure sainte lague.

Party supporters of the government namely PDI-Struggle, Golkar Party, PPP, PKB, Hanura and Nasdem managed to escort package A which is the government's option.

Gerindra Party has stated that it will conduct a judicial review related to the Law on the Implementation of the Election.