Social Media Flooded with 'Emergency Warning' Blue Pictures After House Rejects Court Decision

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Blue pictures saying 'Emergency Warning' with a Garuda Bird symbol on a navy blue background have flooded social media following the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) and the government's refusal to comply with a recent Constitutional Court (MK) ruling.

The trend began with collaborative accounts belonging to prominent journalist Najwa Shihab and her media outlets @narasinewsroom, @najwashihab, @matanajwa, and @narasi.tv on Instagram, which started changing their profile pictures or uploading statuses featuring the Garuda symbol. Notably, no captions accompanied the uploads, only the emergency warning image itself.

Celebrities like Pandji Pragiwaksono also joined the movement. He uploaded the Garuda image on his Instagram and other social media accounts with the caption, “The United People Cannot Be Defeated. 'The President is Gemoy, the Government is Shaking,'” quoted by Tempo on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. "Gemoy" is a casual Indonesian term for cute or adorable.

Comedian Bintang Emon and film director Joko Anwar were among other public figures who posted the emergency warning on their Instagram accounts. Burhanuddin Muhtadi, Executive Director of Indikator Politik Indonesia, also participated by uploading the image on his X social media.

DPR's Disputed Decision Triggers Social Media Response

This social media phenomenon erupted after the DPR discussed revising the Regional Election Law (Pilkada) in response to two recent Constitutional Court decisions: Number 60/PUU-XXII/2024 and Number 70/PUU-XXII/2024. These rulings, issued on August 20, 2024, aimed to eliminate the possibility of an "empty box" scenario in the 2024 Regional Head Elections and disqualify President Joko Widodo or Jokowi’s youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, from gubernatorial candidacy due to age restrictions.

However, in a swift discussion, the DPR working committee greenlit a revised draft of the bill that disregarded the MK's rulings.

One key point of contention is the minimum age requirement for regional head candidates. The MK decision mandated the calculation from the time the candidate pair is determined. The DPR, however, opted to follow Supreme Court Decision Number 23 P/HUM/2024, which sets the age limit (30 years old for governors and 25 years old for regents or mayors) at the time of inauguration.

This decision has sparked controversy as it is perceived as paving the way for Kaesang Pangarep's candidacy. Currently 29 years old, he would reach the 30-year threshold in December 2024, four months after the registration period opens. Despite this, the DPR approved the Supreme Court's decision, seemingly benefiting Kaesang.

EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA

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