Discourse on returning the mechanism of Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) to the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) has resurfaced on the national political stage. A majority of political parties in parliament are now considering the system as a solution to skyrocketing political costs and the election organizing budget, which reached IDR 37 trillion in 2024.
Proponents of the idea, including Gerindra, Golkar, PAN, PKB, and NasDem, argue that election by the DPRD is far more efficient than a direct popular voting system. They contend that high political costs often prevent competent candidates from running, so an indirect mechanism is believed capable of minimizing money politics and cutting the state budget.
However, the idea faces strong opposition from observers and academics. Titi Anggraini, a member of Perludem's Board of Trustees, considers the discourse a backward step for local democracy. According to her, concentrating power in the hands of party elites will instead kill the diversity of political choices and shut down opportunities for independent or alternative candidates rooted in the grassroots.
Echoing Titi, Executive Director of Aljabar Strategic Indonesia, Arifki Chaniago, warned that changing the election system will not automatically eliminate corruption or high costs. He argues that the main problem in Indonesian elections is weak law enforcement against money politics, not the voting method itself. "Changing the system without fixing law enforcement will only shift the concentration of political transactions from the public sphere to closed-door lobbies in the DPRD," he explained.
PDI Perjuangan is the only major party so far to firmly reject the proposal. Said Abdullah, Chairman of PDI Perjuangan's Central Executive Board (DPP), stated that conducting Pilkada through the DPRD risks distorting the people's aspirations. He suggested that the government focus more on reforming the electoral justice system and strengthening Bawaslu and the KPK to eradicate bribery, rather than taking shortcuts by altering regulations.
Historically, the DPRD election mechanism was once implemented and was deemed to potentially foster local authoritarianism, as occurred during the New Order era. Experts remind that democratic legitimacy obtained through a direct mandate from the people is an essential foundation of regional autonomy. If the government insists on pushing through this legislative revision, it is feared that the public will respond with a wave of massive protests, similar to the mass demonstrations in 2024 and 2025.
