This Is The Sound Of The Constitutional Court's Decision, Presidential And Vice Presidential Candidates Can Be Under 40 Years Old, As Long As They Have Been/Regenerate As Regional Heads

Chief Justice Of The Constitutional Court Anwar Usman/PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

JAKARTA - The Constitutional Court (MK) granted a judicial review lawsuit Article 169 letter q of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections regarding the age limit of presidential and vice presidential candidates aged at least 40 years proposed by a UNS student named Almas Tsaqibbirru Re A.

The case Number 90/PUU-XXI/2023 requested by Almas asked the Constitutional Court to change the nomination requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates to the lowest age of 40 years or experience as regional heads, both at the provincial and district/city levels.

"To try, grant the Petitioner's request in part," said Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman when reading the verdict in the courtroom of the Constitutional Court building, Central Jakarta, Monday, October 16.

In his conclusion, the applicant has the legal standing to apply for the a quo. Then, the petitioner's petition reasoned according to the law in part.

"Declare Article 169 letter q of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections (State Gazette of the Republic of Indonesia of 2017 Number 182, Supplement to the State Gazette of the Republic of Indonesia Number 6109) which states, "the lowest age is 40 years against the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and does not have binding legal force, as long as it is not interpreted as "the lowest age is 40 years or has been / is currently in the position elected through general elections including regional head elections," said Anwar Usman.

"So, Article 169 letter q of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections reads 'the lowest age is 40 years or has been / is currently in the position chosen through general elections including regional head elections'," he continued.

Meanwhile, previously the Constitutional Court rejected three matter test cases regarding the age limit of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Among them are case number 29/PUU-XXI/2023 which was proposed by PSI by asking for the minimum age limit for presidential and vice-presidential candidates to be reduced to 35 years.

Then case number 51/PUU-XXI/2023 proposed by the Garuda Party which asks for additional experience alternatives as state administrators as a condition in addition to the minimum age of 40 years. Then, case number 55/PUU-XXI/2023, proposed by the Mayor of Bukittinggi Erman Safar et al with the same petitum as Garuda.