Bella Argoebie, Cindy, Muhammad Raffata Umar, Lia Wulandari

An evaluation of Indonesia's open proportional electoral system and its impact on party fragmentation in the 2024 general election

Introduction

An evaluation of indonesia's open proportional electoral system and its impact on party fragmentation in the 2024 general election . Evaluates Indonesia's 2024 open proportional electoral system, its impact on party fragmentation & democratic representation. Finds increased voter involvement but limited ideological diversity. Proposes reforms.

Abstract

This study looks at how the open-list proportional voting system in Indonesia affects political division and democratic representation in the 2024 elections. The research will find out if this system increases diversity in party beliefs or just creates more parties without really improving representation. Using a qualitative case study method, the research reviews secondary data from election results, party beliefs, and existing research to evaluate how the system affects political stability and leadership. The findings show that while the open-list system has improved political involvement by allowing voters to choose candidates directly, it has not significantly increased ideological representation.Mst parties are focused on a nationalist-Islamic direction, with some exceptions like the the Labor Party and PSI. Even though many parties are emerging, the division is mostly surface-level because major parties, like the Koalisis Indonesia Maju Plus, tend to centralize power instead of creating healthy competition. The system also worsens problems like high campaign cost, poor candidate management by parties, and money-driven politics, reducing its democratic value. The study concludes that the open-list system increases voter independence but needs changes to address its weaknesses. Suggested improvements include adopting a mixed voting system, developing party members better, improving voter education, and implementing stricter rules on campaign financing. These actions would help balance democratic representation with political stability and match the system with Indonesia’s constitutional principle of popular sovereignty.The research contributes to discussions on electoral reform and offers policy suggestions to strengthen Indonesia's democratic governance.

Review

This study offers a timely and relevant evaluation of Indonesia's open-list proportional electoral system, examining its multifaceted impact on party fragmentation and democratic representation in the context of the 2024 general election. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach and secondary data analysis, the research aims to discern whether the system truly fosters ideological diversity or merely increases the number of parties without substantive improvements in representation. The abstract effectively summarizes key findings, indicating that while the open-list system has enhanced voter involvement through direct candidate selection, it has fallen short in significantly increasing ideological representation. It highlights a critical concern regarding surface-level party division and the tendency of major parties to centralize power, which potentially undermines healthy competition. The paper makes several valuable contributions to the discourse on electoral reform and democratic governance in Indonesia. Its focus on the recent 2024 elections provides an immediate and pertinent context for analysis, making the findings particularly relevant for policymakers and scholars. A significant strength lies in the direct and actionable policy recommendations provided, including the adoption of a mixed voting system, enhanced party member development, improved voter education, and stricter campaign finance regulations. These suggestions are thoughtfully linked to addressing the identified weaknesses of the open-list system and aligning electoral practices with Indonesia's constitutional principle of popular sovereignty, thereby offering practical pathways to strengthen democratic outcomes. While the abstract provides a strong overview, the full paper would benefit from further elaboration in a few key areas. Specifically, a more detailed discussion of the types and sources of "secondary data from election results, party beliefs, and existing research" would enhance methodological transparency, especially concerning how "party beliefs" are qualitatively assessed and categorized. Given the recency of the 2024 elections, clarity on the specific 2024 data points analyzed (e.g., pre-election analyses, preliminary results, post-election assessments) would strengthen the empirical claims. Additionally, the assertion that major parties "tend to centralize power" despite the open-list system is a compelling finding that warrants deeper analytical development in the main text, explaining the mechanisms through which this centralization occurs and its implications for genuine democratic competition.

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