Inequality of Political Party Representation in the Indonesian Legislative System: Critical Study and Recommendations for Reform

Abstract

The open proportional system implemented post-reform in Indonesia aims to expand people's representation and strengthen democracy. However, in its implementation, this system actually strengthens the dominance of large parties and narrows the participation space for small parties. This inequality is exacerbated by high-cost politics, weak internal party democracy, and the rise of fat coalitions that weaken the function of the opposition and legislative control. Through a critical approach and comparative study with South Korea, this article not only identifies structural problems in the legislative system but also offers a design for reform solutions. This article offers two solutions: first, strengthening the opposition through changing public image, improving internal parties, and revising the Political Party Law; second, reforming the electoral system into a mixed system that combines proportional and district elements to improve the quality of representation. Both solutions are expected to strengthen democracy and balance power in parliament.