The decision by Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) to hold a closed-door meeting to draft the Election Bill (RUU Pemilu) has drawn criticism from academics. The meeting between the DPR’s Expert Body (BKD) and Commission II took place in one of the rooms at the Nusantara II Building on Tuesday (Apr. 14).
Arga Pribadi Imawan, a lecturer at the Department of Politics and Government, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Fisipol UGM), assessed that the practice could harm the public and weaken the principle of accountability in the legislative process. According to Arga, closed-door meetings benefit legislators by reducing public visibility into decision-making processes.
“When meetings are held behind closed doors, the public cannot identify who is responsible for particular provisions in the bill. As a result, accountability mechanisms become paralyzed,” he said on Tuesday (Apr. 28).
He explained that openness in the legislative process is key to enabling the public to monitor their representatives in parliament. Transparency allows the public to impose political consequences, for instance, by not re-electing legislators who are deemed to have produced harmful policies.
Furthermore, Arga emphasized that in policymaking, there are three main sources of influence on legislators: constituents, political parties or colleagues, and personal views. However, in electoral matters that concern citizens’ fundamental rights, constituents’ voices should be the dominant factor.
“Public participation should not be merely procedural. There must be tangible mechanisms such as public hearings, structured consultations, and written inputs that are genuinely considered in the legislative process,” he explained.
Arga also warned of long-term consequences if electoral regulations continue to be formulated without adequate public participation. He argued that such conditions could set a negative precedent for future legislative processes.
“If this practice continues, DPR will learn that closed processes carry no risk. This could lead to unchecked unilateralism, where power operates without public oversight,” he stressed.
To restore public trust, Arga urged DPR to provide substantive space for public participation. He stressed that constituents’ voices must be placed on equal footing with party interests and legislators’ personal views. According to him, openness is also a form of political accountability.
“Legislators must be willing to take risks. If the policies they produce improve the quality of democracy, they will gain public trust. Otherwise, the public will pass judgment in the next election,” he concluded.
Author: Jelita Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: Freepik