President Jokowi issues Perppu on elections

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) issued Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) Number 1 of 2022 on elections, which among others, regulates the impact of new provinces’ establishment on the 2024 elections.

The regulation that amended Law Number 7 of 2017 was uploaded on the Ministry of State Secretariat’s official website on Tuesday.

According to Jokowi, extraordinary policies and steps are deemed necessary to anticipate the impact of the formation of four new provinces — South Papua, Central Papua, Papua Pegunungan, and Southwest Papua — for the 2024 Election.

Hence, the 2024 election would run on schedule to create domestic political stability.

“As an implication of the formation of the provinces of South Papua, Central Papua, Papua Pegunungan, and Southwest Papua, it is also necessary to organize electoral districts and allocate seats for members of the People’s Representative Council (DPR), members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and members of the Provincial Regional People’s Legislative Council (DPRD) as well as general election organizers, so legal certainty needs to be given,” he stated.

In issuing the Perppu, the president also considered the need to make changes to several issues in Law Number 7 of 2017 related to the strengthening of election organizers, schedule for the electoral campaign for members of the DPR, DPD, DPRD, as well as president and vice president candidates.

Some changes are also related to general elections in the capital city Nusantara as well as adjustments to electoral districts and the number of seats for Provincial DPRD members as a result of an increase in population.

The Perppu changes several provisions in the General Elections law, among others, the establishment of provincial KPU in South Papua, Central Papua, Papua Pegunungan, and Southwest Papua.

Article 92A of the regulation stated that Bawaslu forms the Provincial Bawaslu in the four new provinces.

Article 186 of the Perppu stipulates that the number of seats for members of the DPR reaches 580.

The Perppu also stipulates that between Article 568 and Article 569, one article is inserted, namely Article 568A, which reads that the implementation of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election, members of the DPR, DPD, Provincial DPRD, and members of the District/Municipal DPRD in 2024 in East Kalimantan Province that is included in the capital city Nusantara as referred to in Law Number 3 of 2022 concerning the State Capital, is still guided by the provisions in Law Number 7 of 2017.

The Perppu was signed by President Jokowi on December 12, 2022, and promulgated on the same date.