Indonesian parties debate 5 percent parliamentary threshold

Indonesian political parties are debating a proposed increase in the parliamentary threshold from 4 percent to 5 percent as part of the Election Law revision.

Golkar Chairman Bahlil Lahadalia stated that 5 percent is an ideal figure. Gerindra Secretary General Sugiono also confirmed that Gerindra agrees with the 5 percent threshold, noting that several coalition parties appear to be in alignment.

However, the proposal faces opposition. The National Mandate Party (PAN) has expressed objections to raising the threshold above 4 percent. Meanwhile, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has expressed support for the 5 percent option but emphasized the need for mechanisms to prevent wasted votes. PKS suggested adopting a 'stembus accord' system similar to the 1999 elections or implementing compensation schemes at national and regional levels to ensure votes for parties failing to meet the threshold are still accounted for.