TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi claimed that he would respect the Constitutional Court's (MK) new decision on the threshold for regional head elections and the age limit for candidates.

“We respect the authority and decision of every governmental agency,” the president said in a video statement released by the Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. “It’s a common constitutional process.”

Previously, Hasan Nasbi, the Head of the Presidential Communications Office conveyed a similar statement. Hasan said the government would comply with the revision of the Regional Head Election Law at the House of Representatives or DPR.

"The government only executes the law. The only lawmaker is DPR,” Hasan told reporters at the Ministry of State Secretariat Complex, on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. "However, the one who runs the election is KPU (General Election Commission)."

Hasan also claimed that President Jokowi would not issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law to bypass the constitutional process. Therefore, Hasan asked Indonesian citizens to follow the current discussion held by the parliament.

"The government respects the decisions of MA and MK as well as DPR’s authority. We’ll see about the results,” he said.

The Constitutional Court previously ruled partially in favor of the Labor Party and the Gelora Party regarding the political party threshold to nominate regional head candidates.

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court stated that political parties or party coalitions participating in the regional election are allowed to nominate a candidate despite having no seats in the Regional Legislative Council or DPRD.

The Constitutional Court also rejected a petition by two students, Fahrur Rozi and Anthony Lee, who asked the Constitutional Court to return the age limit for regional head candidates to before the Supreme Court (MA) ruling No. 23 P/HUM/2024.

However, a day later, the DPR Legislative Body held a meeting to discuss the Regional Election Bill and reject MK's decision on the candidate age limit.

During the meeting, only the Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDIP protested the seemingly rushed decision-making by DPR.

RIRI RAHAYU

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