Page 342 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

Open Parliament:

What it Means for The Indonesian

House of Representatives

and the People

First of all, on behalf of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia I wish to
welcome you in this beautiful Island of God: Bali. I would also like to extend gratitude to the
Westminster Foundation for Democracy for organizing this event as a medium to learn from
each other and discuss more on the issue of Open Parliament.

Indonesia is honored to be the host of this Regional Meeting on Open Parliaments. Open
Parliament itself will signify the journey of democracy that we had. Indonesia, as an archipelagic
country, is built upon more than 17.000 Islands, hundreds of dialects and languages and more
than 267 millions of people of various ethnic groups and religions.

Our foundation of democracy is crafted along the history of the nation. After 32 years of New
Order, where the national army had its dual functions through their significance presence
in public and military services and even had its reserved seats in the parliament, Indonesia
began to walk into the path of democratic transition in 1998. We began to expand and open our
electoral system.

Election system is continously transform to adapt with our socio and political situation of the
nation. Before 1998, Indonesia only had two political parties (the Indonesian Democratic Party
and the United Development Party) and one Functional Group (Golkar).

The first election after 1998 political transition was held in 1999 and followed by 48 political
parties. Five years later in 2004, we adapt our election system and beginning to directly elect the
President. In 2009, we changed the electoral threshold into parliamentary threshold of 2.5% the
national votes which then changed again into 3.5% in 2014 and now 4% for 2019 election. This
is a way where Indonesia exercises its democratic consolidation.

Selected Speeches of the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia I 329