The Constitutional Court Immediately Holds A Trial On The Decision Of The Material Test Of The Regional Head Election Law Ahead Of Candidate Registration

JAKARTA - The Constitutional Court (MK) will immediately hold a trial for the judicial review of Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors (UU Pilkada) ahead of the registration of candidate pairs (paslon) regional heads of the 2024 Pilkada to open at the end of August.

"It will be decided soon, so that there is certainty immediately, before there is a nomination stage in the Pilkada," said Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Suhartoyo, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, August 9.

Suhartoyo said that the Constitutional Court would immediately decide the matter test case of the Pilkada Law, whose main application is essential and fundamental to the implementation of the Pilkada.

"The essential ones related to fundamental issues that are proposed, actually have similarities that are even the same, so that fundamental issues will be addressed by the Constitutional Court," he said.

The fundamental issue, said Suhartoyo, includes the requirements for the age of a regional head candidate. "Yes, including," said the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.

Suhartoyo said the Constitutional Court could decide a case even though it had not yet summoned other parties for questioning in the plenary session.

"To decide the case, it doesn't have to be plenary because Article 54 of the Constitutional Court Law can be decided without a plenary session, as long as the issue is clear, the issue is considered clear, so there is no need to listen to the parties," he said.

Suhartoyo also indicated that the Constitutional Court would not decide cases that could change the rules of the game when the Pilkada stage had taken place.

"If it's been processed, maybe not, yes, but if it hasn't been processed, for example, the nomination stage has not yet been opened, well, maybe before registration the Constitutional Court can respond to whether it will be determined immediately, so that there is certainty," he said.

Based on General Election Commission (PKPU) Regulation Number 2 of 2024, registration of candidate pairs for regional heads is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27 to Thursday, August 29, 2024.

On the other hand, a number of judicial review cases of the Pilkada Law are currently being rolled out in the Constitutional Court. Some of them question the age requirements for regional head candidates, campaign regulations, and the threshold for supporting regional head candidates by political parties.