In order to formulate recommendations for the revisions to the Election Law (Election Bill) which is under deliberation of the Special Committee of the Election Bill, representatives of the Women Research Institute (Edriana Noerdin and Nur Aini) participated in a discussion under the theme of “Women in the Election Bill”, coordinated by the Indonesian Parliament Caucus for Women.

 

The formulation resulted by this discussion would be proposed as a recommendation for the Special Committee of the Election Bill through the Public Hearing Meeting (RDPU). The topics of discussion included the issues of parliamentary threshold, amount of electoral areas, amount of seats per electoral area changed into the placement of women in an alternating order (one in two), the representation of 30% women in every electoral area, and a sanction for the parties who violate the regulation. 

 

 

Discussion on the issues centered on:

1. Strategizing how to boost women’s confidence to engage in the political map.
2. Discussing Articles 53 and 50 of the Election Bill, as well as Article 36 paragraph (1) on women to be represented at every electoral area. The percentage of women’s representation is still below the target and there is no sanction for parties that fail to fulfil the 30% quota for women.
3. Focusing on promoting one or two articles but advocate those articles constantly.
4. The issue that the trouble of the largest votes lie in women’s funding, causing them difficulties to secure a seat.
5. An initial recommendation was a 50% quota with the requirements that numbers 1-3 should be allocated to women.
6. Requirements of a minimum of votes: women should be placed at number 1 if 3 seats are filled by men (from 77 electoral areas, there should be 1 electoral area)
7. Incentive of additional political votes to add women’s votes from the party’s votes (equal share between men and women in electoral areas).
8. Votes should be distributed to legislative candidates as abonus, women should be in electoral areas according to quota and be placed at numbers 1 and 2.
9. The criticized articles should insert the word “shall/obligated” to make it subjected to the sanction.
10. The parliamentary threshold, as well as the implication of expansion, should be discussed in the affirmative mission.

 

Additional information on the policies that are underway in the parliament:

1. The strategy to be used for women’s representation in the parliament if the system of election is open and based on the largest votes.
2. The strategy to be used in the case of an expansion of electoral areas.
3. There is currently no agreement reached on parlementary threshold and total seats.

 

Summary of Discussions:

1. The Public Hearing Meeting should display data in order to verify the special committee’s information, etc.
2. The special committee can be used as an alley from the Public Hearing Meeting.
3. Reinforcement should be done to the changed articles, i.e. Article 52 paragraph (1) and (2), Article 55 paragraph (2).
4. Results of discussion:
   1. If the election system regulates a number of 36 seats, the relevant quota of qomen should be 50% in every electoral area;
   2. The change to article 53 paragraphs (1) and (2) where the list of candidates from each party should include a minimum 30% quota of women, the representation in paragraph (1) applies to the electoral areas at the DPR, DPRD, and Provincial levels, the parties which do not adhere to the regulations will be sanctioned and prohibited from participating in the elections;
   3. Article 55 should regulate that the list of candidates should place women in an alternating order as well as include the recent passport photographs of the candidates.

 

Preparation, Capacity Building, and Network:

1. Affirmative actions will not only be limited to the Law but will be followed up to political parties by holding a road show to political parties with the general chair as the target.
2. KPPA will be asked to facilitate the results of the Public Hearing Meeting to the special committee.
3. Cooperation to be established with the CSOs present to include the agenda.
4.  Policy review to be drafted for disseminating and advocating purposes.***