Mataram, University of Mataram – Thursday, February 13, 2025, University of Mataram (Unram) held a national seminar entitled “The Urgency of Revising the Election Law in an Effort to Improve the Election System.” The event was held in a hybrids, located in the senate meeting room of the Rectorate of Unram and broadcasted through the Unram TV YouTube channel.

This seminar was a collaboration between Unram and the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), to discuss various challenges and opportunities in revising electoral regulations in Indonesia. It is hoped that the discussions in this seminar can provide insights and recommendations for improving the electoral system in the future.

The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, the Rector of Unram, the Regional Secretary of NTB Province, the Head of NTB Regional Police, the Commander of Military Resort 162 Wira Bhakti NTB, the National Unity and Domestic Politics Agency of NTB Province, the Commissioner of the Election Supervisory Board of NTB Province, the Head of the General Election Commission of Mataram City, Vice Rectors, Deans, academic community in Unram, speakers, seminar moderators, invited guests, and Unram students.

Executive Director of Perludem, Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati, in her remarks said that Perludem has an important role in monitoring the revision of the Election Law which has been included in the 2025 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) list.

“The discussion of the revision of the Election Law must be carried out with meaningful participation, involving many parties to get input. This seminar aims to be a forum for the public, including local governments, to contribute to the formulation of better regulations. Input from many parties will be very useful, especially to answer a number of serious challenges from both technical and substance aspects,” she said.

She also emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto through the Minister of Home Affairs and Deputy Minister had stated that the discussion of the revision of the Election Law must be carried out transparently and involve various elements of society.

In line with that, the Rector of Unram, Prof. Ir. Bambang Hari Kusumo, M.Agr.St., Ph.D., emphasized the importance of academic studies in the preparation of electoral policies.

“You can study various election-related issues in this seminar, find the best solution for the nation, and then convey it to the central government and DPR. We are here to provide input and thoughts, while the policy makers will formulate the final rules,” he said.

As part of the event, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Unram and Perludem was signed by the Rector of Unram and the Executive Director of Perludem. In addition, Unram’s Faculty of Law and Social and Political Sciences (FHISIP) also collaborated with Perludem through an MoU signed by the Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Alumni of FHISIP Unram. The event continued with the handover of souvenirs and a group photo session.

The seminar continued with a keynote lecture delivered by the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Bima Arya Sugiarto, who discussed the development of the revision of electoral regulations in Indonesia. In an interview after the event, he said that the simultaneous election stage has now entered the final stage, with the government focusing on the inauguration of regional heads. After that, the government will more intensely discuss the revision of the Election Law with academics, researchers, and democracy activists.

“Currently, we are taking inventory of the main issues that must be discussed, such as the electoral system, the division of electoral districts (dapil), the organization, and the simultaneity of elections. We want to ensure that no important issues are missed in this discussion,” he said.

He also added that there is no specific draft law yet, but the Ministry of Home Affairs together with Bappenas and the DPR continue to hold intensive discussions to develop more mature regulations.

The last series of events as well as the main event in this activity ended with a series of seminar presentations by the Executive Director of Perludem (Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati), Election Expert and Head of Perludem’s Board of Trustees (Didik Supriyanto), and Professor of Constitutional Law at Unram (Prof. Galang Asmara).

The event continued with a discussion session that discussed the urgency of revising the Election Law and efforts to improve the electoral system. This discussion provided space for participants to express their views and ideas in an effort to realize a more democratic electoral system for the improvement of the electoral system in the future.