The discourse on implementing a parliamentary threshold is no longer limited to national legislative seats, but is now expanding to provincial and regency/city regional legislative councils (DPRD). This step is claimed to be an effort to simplify the party system while enhancing the effectiveness of regional governance.
However, the idea has sparked debate among political analysts. Jojo Rohi, a political observer from the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP), emphasized that the nature of national and local politics has fundamental differences that cannot be generalized. According to him, the function of the DPRD should focus more on representing the diversity of local aspirations rather than merely party political stability.
The main risk of setting too high a threshold at the local level is the reduction of community representation. Jojo warned that this phenomenon could leave constituent votes intact while losing legislative seats, thereby blocking access for groups with specific voter bases that are not nationally dominant.
Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of finding an equilibrium in Indonesia's democratic system. Given the vital role of the DPRD as a channel for regional aspirations, threshold policies must be carefully examined so as not to sacrifice political representation merely for the sake of government effectiveness.
