PAN Initially Appreciated And Disappointed About The Constitutional Court's Decision On The Age Limit For Vice Presidential Candidates

JAKARTA - The National Mandate Party (PAN) appreciates and respects the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) which rejects the presidential and vice presidential age limit of at least 35 years and continues to impose a minimum age requirement of 40 years. However, it turns out that the Constitutional Court granted other lawsuits related to the age limit of the presidential and vice presidential candidates for at least 40 years unless they have been elected or those who are in office who are elected by election, including regional head elections. "Earlier we gave appreciation with a decision (first), of course we will feel disappointed," said a member of Commission II DPR from the PAN faction, Guspardi Gaus when contacted, Tuesday, October 17.

"Because just imagine, presidential and vice presidential candidates can be people who only have the position of mayor, that's a huge difference between national leaders and district/city regional heads," he continued.

From the various information he received, Guspardi considered that the public was also very disappointed with the Constitutional Court's decision. Some even say that reform is back at zero, because there are indications of oligarchy or the president's power to build dynasty.

The Constitutional Court's decision, he continued, seemed to give the Mayor of Solo a red carpet, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who wanted to be nominated as a vice presidential candidate (cawapres). The Constitutional Court's decision was also mentioned to pass Gibran as a companion to Prabowo Subianto in the 2024 presidential election.

"This means (the Constitutional Court's decision), the space to give Gibran a red carpet so that he can become a vice presidential candidate. Why is this people's perception like that? Because the only person who is predicted to be a vice presidential or vice presidential candidate is only Gibran, there are no candidates from other mayors," he explained.

"So (response, red) the community that this is to build the dynasty. If later Gibran is a vice presidential candidate and carried by Pak Prabowo it becomes a reality," continued the West Sumatra electoral district legislator.