Jakarta – A number of civil society groups and academics have urged the House of Representatives to hold off on passing the revision to the Regional Elections Law initially scheduled for Thursday, and instead abide by the Constitutional Court's previous rulings to save the country's democracy.
On Wednesday, the House Legislation Body (Baleg) rushed to revise the 2016 Regional Elections Law, which activists see as an attempt to override the Constitutional Court rulings on Tuesday on candidate nomination requirements for the November regional head elections that ensure more competitive polls.
The House's plan to unwind the court rulings would block a vocal government critic in the race for the influential post of Jakarta governor, and also pave the way for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's youngest son to run in the regional head elections in Central Java.
Dozens of law experts, election watchdogs and academics have voiced their disappointment on the House's move, citing it as "unconstitutional" as the Constitutional Court's decision was final and binding to all state institutions.
University of Indonesia professors were among those who condemned the lawmakers' rushed move as a defiance of the constitution.
"The inevitable consequence is the fall of state authority, institutions and the law to their lowest point as public trust erodes," said the statement released on Thursday.
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) echoed the criticism, saying that the speedy revision appeared to be carried out to accommodate Jokowi's political dynasty and the party coalition behind president-elect Prabowo Subianto dubbed as the Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM).
The YLBHI called on all Indonesians, from laborers, urban poor to students to consolidate themselves to stop the deceitful practices shown by lawmakers and the government.
"There is no other choice. It's time for us to take to the streets and tear down the 'demons that stand astride,'" said the YLBHI on Thursday. "We must move, speak and take action until we win."
The International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) also urged political parties "to refrain from announcing and registering their candidates for regional heads who do not meet the eligibility requirements in accordance with the court's ruling."
On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court lowered the threshold for political parties to be eligible to nominate candidates for regional head from having won 25 percent of the popular vote to between 6.5 and 10 percent, depending on the region's number of registered voters. This gives a fighting chance to parties and candidates opposing the dominant Gerindra Party-led KIM in key battleground regions.
The Constitutional Court also ruled that candidates for governor positions had to be 30 by the time they were registered to run by the General Elections Commission (KPU), in contrast with an earlier decision by the Supreme Court, in alignment with the House's position, that the age requirement would apply at the time of inauguration.
Contradicting two Constitutional Court rulings, all but one of the nine parties in the House agreed to make a court-ordered lower nomination threshold applicable only to small political parties with no seats in the local legislature, as well as to have the minimum age of candidacy apply at the time of inauguration, not registration.
The House's law revision could mean that Jokowi's youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, a political newcomer who does not turn 30 until December, after the KPU registration window closes, will be able to run for regional office this year.
The House deputy speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad of Gerindra Party said on Thursday the plenary session to pass the bill had to be rescheduled because of a lack of a quorum. He refused to say when the session will resume. (alf)