We do not incline to either side (of election systems)
Jakarta (ANTARA) - General Elections Commission (KPU) Commissioner Mochammad Afifuddin clarified that his institution has no inclination to a particular election system, either the open-list proportional representation or closed-list, for the 2024 General Elections.

"We do not incline to either side (of election systems)," Afifuddin stated at the KPU office here, Monday.

He affirmed that the KPU would persevere to maintain its neutrality and independence in organizing elections regardless of the Constitutional Court verdict on the ongoing judicial review of an article regulating open-list proportional representation in Law No. 7 of 2017 on Elections.

If the court rule is in favor of parties filing the judicial review, the election system for the 2024 General Elections would change to a closed-list system wherein voters could only select political parties in their ballot papers instead of party candidates, he noted.

The commissioner stated that the KPU would provide information on the pros and cons of election systems for the judicial review, as the Constitutional Court invited the agency to testify at the court session on January 17.

Earlier, on Sunday (January 8), eight parliamentary parties issued a joint statement reiterating support for an open-list proportional representation system in legislative elections mandated by the electoral law.

The eight parliamentary parties that expressed opposition to the closed-list election system are Golkar Party, Gerindra Party, NasDem Party, National Awakening Party (PKB), Democratic Party, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), National Mandate Party (PAN), and United Development Party (PPP).

In the joint statement, the political parties also appealed to the electoral commission to perform its duties by maintaining neutrality and independence, as mandated by electoral laws.

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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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