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View all search resultsLawmakers signal resistance against Constitutional Court’s split-election ruling
Several lawmakers in the House of Representatives have called the Constitutional Court’s ruling that ordered split local and national elections “unconstitutional” and “not final and binding”.
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Disputed ruling: Lawmakers attend a House of Representatives plenary session on Tuesday at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta. (Antara/Dhemas Reviyanto)
P
olitical parties in the House of Representatives have shown pushback against a recent Constitutional Court ruling on separate national and local elections, with some outright rejecting the decision and others suggesting that the legislature may defy the court’s order over concerns of its impact on local democracy.
Until the 2024 elections, voters cast five different ballots on the same day to select the presidential pair as well as members of all national and regional legislative bodies.
Ruling over a judicial review petition challenging the 2017 General Election Law, the Constitutional Court ordered on June 26 that starting in 2029, elections must be held on two separate dates.
Polls to elect regional heads and provincial, regional and municipal legislative councils (DPRD) will take place no sooner than two years and no later than two-and-a-half years after the presidential and national legislative elections in 2029, according to the court ruling.
Gerindra Party lawmaker Heri Gunawan, member of House Commission II overseeing home affairs, said the House may defy the court’s ruling, arguing that delaying the local legislative elections could “violate the principle of legal certainty”.
He also said the court justices’ ruling breached the 1945 Constitution, which mandates elections to be held every five years.
“Because of concerns that [the ruling] may contradict the Constitution, the House may decide to stick with the provisions in the Constitution instead,” Heri said in a statement on Wednesday.
