Experience and Constituent Base Increase Percentage of Incumbents Returning to DPR

The experience of people's representatives and the constituent base that is maintained is the key to the success of DPR members being re-elected to Senayan.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Campaign displays of legislative candidates for the 2024 election were installed in the Babakan area of South Tangerang, Banten on Sunday (11/12/2023). The legislative election in 2024 is still dominated by senior politicians, entrepreneurs, and private sector workers. Political parties are considered to have failed in political regeneration and tend to rely solely on legislative candidates.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The results of calculations by the General Election Commission on the 2024 Legislative Election show a trend of increasing incumbents who become members of the DPR from election to election. The success of incumbents occurs, among other things, because they already have political experience and are supported by loyal constituent bases that have been nurtured over the past five years.

In the 2024 election, as many as 56.4 percent of the 580 elected DPR members are incumbents, who at the time of running for office were serving as members of the DPR for the 2019-2024 period. For the first time, in the last five elections, the number of incumbents who were re-elected as DPR members is greater than the number of newcomers.

In the 2019 elections, 53 percent or the majority of elected DPR members were newcomers. Meanwhile, the number of incumbent DPR members in the previous election was 47 percent. Likewise, the number of incumbent DPR members in the 2014 election was 38.2 percent, or less than the non-incumbent members who reached 61.8 percent.

Also read: Incumbents and Celebrities Have the Chance to Dominate DPR Seats in the West Java I Electoral District

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Chair of the Department of Politics and Social Change, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Arya Fernandes

Tough fight

The head of the Department of Politics and Social Change at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Arya Fernandes, said that the trend of an increasing number of incumbents becoming members of parliament explains how difficult it is for newcomers to compete in elections. "Especially when they have to compete with candidates from political dynasties and face high political costs," he said in Jakarta on Thursday (25/4/2024).

Arya mentioned that the success of DPR members in getting re-elected to the parliament is due to several factors, such as having political experience and nurturing their constituent base during their term. "They can maintain their political network in the regions well, so that when they run again, it only takes activation of support," said Arya.

He also mentioned that there were several traditional elites who took advantage of government programs, such as infrastructure development and improvement, as their proposed programs. "In fact, those are government programs, but are claimed as proposals," he said.

Moreover, at the same time you have to compete with legislative candidates from political dynasties and political costs are expensive.

Not all incumbents successfully make it to the parliament. Several incumbents fail to retain their seats. According to Arya, this failure is caused, among other things, by the incumbents competing against popular figures, such as regional heads, former regional heads, or figures who come from political dynasties, businessmen, or those who have the support of businessmen.

The open proportional political system implemented in the 2024 election, according to Arya, causes legislative candidates to require a large fund to conduct independent campaigns. Those who wish to advance to the Senate need a significant amount of money, such as to mobilize the masses, visit constituent areas, and cover expenses for witnesses.

”New comer if he doesn't come from a political dynasty or doesn't have fundraising support from businesspeople, how will he finance his campaign? "That's why it's difficult for new comers who are not from political dynasties or don't have support from entrepreneurs," he said.

KOMPAS/DWI BAYU RADIUS

The General Chairman of the Democratic Party, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and his daughter-in-law, Annisa Pohan, attended the inauguration of the Management Board of the Regional Leadership Council and Branch Leadership Council of the Democratic Party in Banten in Serang, on Thursday (04/19/2018).

Large number

When viewed based on each political party, a high percentage of incumbent members of parliament in the DPR comes from the Democratic Party. Out of the 44 DPR seats secured by the Democratic Party in the 2024 elections, 70.5 percent of them are occupied by incumbents. Meanwhile, when calculated from the total of 580 DPR members, the largest number of incumbents come from PDI-P, amounting to 69 seats out of 110 in the DPR.

This makes it difficult for new entrants to compete because they have to face big names, such as Teuku Riefky Harsya, Herman Khaeron, and Hinca Panjaitan.

The decrease in the number of Democratic Party seats from the previous election is considered one of the causes of more intense competition because the incumbents already have experience sitting in the DPR seats multiple times. "This makes it difficult for newcomers to fight because they have to face big names, such as Teuku Riefky Harsya, Herman Khaeron, and Hinca Panjaitan," he said.

Not all seats in the House of Representatives are filled by incumbents. Members of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Nasdem Party who made it to the parliament are mostly newcomers. As much as 52.1 percent of the 48 seats held by PAN are filled by non-incumbents. Similarly, the majority of Nasdem's seats, as many as 53.6 percent of the 69 seats, are filled by non-incumbents.

This is the most expensive election, legislative candidates spend quite a lot of money to occupy DPR seats, whether incumbent or non-incumbent.

KOMPAS/RIAN SEPTIANDI

Secretary General of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Eddy Soeparno when met by the daily Kompas at the PAN DPP office, South Jakarta, Wednesday (5/4/2023).

Also read: More than half of the young legislative candidates elected to the DPR are indicated by political dynasties

The Secretary General of PAN, Eddy Soeparno, stated that the results of the 2024 election show that the democratic system in Indonesia needs to be evaluated. "This is the most expensive election, legislative candidates spend a significant amount of money to occupy seats in the DPR, whether they are incumbents or non-incumbents," he said.

Eddy stated that there were 9 incumbent members of the PAN DPR who failed to enter the parliament despite previously maintaining their respective electoral constituencies. "I see that the community has become very pragmatic during the campaign period. They hope to receive special attention. This pragmatism is a result of disappointment towards the legislative candidate," he said.