Parties discuss faction requirements and higher parliamentary thresholds as election law revision begins.
Indonesia’s political parties have begun discussing changes to the rules governing the 2029 elections, including proposals affecting presidential nominations and the minimum vote share required for parties to enter Parliament.
Two-Faction Presidential Rule Discussed
Political parties are discussing a proposal that would require a presidential and vice-presidential ticket to receive support from at least two parliamentary factions before contesting the 2029 election. NasDem chairman Surya Paloh publicly welcomed the idea on September 19. The Straits Times reported that earlier discussions had gone further, with Gerindra suggesting that a ticket require the backing of three factions, although no such rule has been enacted. With eight parties currently represented in Parliament, a two-faction requirement could allow no more than four separately backed tickets.
Court Abolished Previous Presidential Threshold
The debate follows a January 2025 Constitutional Court ruling that abolished Indonesia’s previous presidential nomination threshold, which required a party or coalition to hold at least 20% of House seats or receive 25% of the national vote in the previous legislative election. The court also called on lawmakers to prevent both an excessive number of presidential tickets and political coalitions so dominant that voter choice becomes restricted.
Political Parties Take Different Positions
Parties have expressed differing views on the proposed faction requirement. Golkar secretary-general Muhammad Sarmuji described it as an effort to respond to the Constitutional Court’s guidance on managing the number of candidates. PSI political affairs head Bestari Barus, however, argued that using parliamentary factions would conflict with the court’s removal of the presidential threshold because political parties, rather than parliamentary factions, are election participants. The Straits Times reported that the Democratic Party also opposed the proposal.
Five Percent Parliamentary Threshold Proposed
Separate discussions are underway over raising the parliamentary threshold from 4% to 5% of the national vote. Gerindra secretary-general Sugiono said leaders from several parties in President Prabowo Subianto’s governing coalition had found common ground around the 5% figure, although further meetings are expected before a final position is reached. In 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that the 4% threshold could remain for that year’s election but must be revised for 2029 and subsequent elections, citing concerns including the large number of votes that did not translate into parliamentary representation.
Election Law Revision Remains Unsettled
The discussions remain part of the process of revising Indonesia’s election law and have not yet become binding rules for 2029. Sugiono said party leaders would meet again to reach an agreement, while the governing coalition currently includes seven of the eight parties represented in the House. The coalition controls 470 of the House’s 580 seats.
For Indonesians, the ongoing revision will determine important rules governing political party representation and presidential nominations in the 2029 election, but the proposals remain under discussion. For Singaporean readers following developments in neighboring Indonesia, the debate provides an early view of how Indonesia’s electoral framework may change before the next national vote.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , The Jakarta Post (2026)
Keywords: Indonesia Election Law, 2029 Presidential Election, Presidential Nomination Rules, Parliamentary Threshold, Gerindra, Constitutional Court
