The Constitutional Court Decides That The Regional Head Election Will Be Held No Longer Than 2 Years After The Election

Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Court Saldi Isra/ANTARA PHOTO/MUHAMMAD ADIMAJA)

JAKARTA - The Constitutional Court has decided that local elections (elections) or regional elections will be held no later than two years or a maximum of two years and six months after the national elections are completed.

Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Saldi Isra, explained that the completion of the national election could be calculated from the inauguration time of each political office elected in the national election.

The national elections are the elections for members of the DPR, DPD, and the president/vice president, while local or regional elections consist of elections for provincial/district/city DPRD members as well as regional head and deputy head elections.

Saldi said the Decision Number 135/PUU-XXII/2024 was considered from the experience of the election schedule for DPR members, DPD, president/vice president, and provincial/district/city DPRD in 2024 which is close to regional head elections.

According to the Constitutional Court, the national and local election agenda in the same year caused various problems, including weakening political party institutions due to a lack of time for political parties to prepare cadres to compete at every election level.

In addition, the Constitutional Court also assessed that the implementation of local and national elections in the near future caused voters to be bored. The voter's focus was even divided at the polling stations because of the many ballots that had to be cast.

Therefore, added Saldi, the determination of the distance between the election for members of the provincial / district / district / city DPRD and regional heads must be based on the end of the election stages of the DPR, DPD, and the president / vice president.

The calculation of time began at the time of the inauguration of members of the DPR and DPD or the inauguration of the president/vice president. This is because, according to the Constitutional Court, the inauguration of the three types of political positions can be positioned as the end of the election stage.

"Based on these legal considerations, the voting will be held simultaneously to elect members of the DPR, members of the DPD, president/vice president, and after that within a minimum of two years or a maximum of two years and six months from the inauguration of members of the DPR and members of the DPD or since the inauguration of the president/vice president is held simultaneously to elect members of the provincial DPRD, members of the district/city DPRD, and governor/deputy governors, regents/deputy regents, and mayors/deputy mayors," said Saldi.

The Constitutional Court granted part of the petition submitted by the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem). In its ruling, the Constitutional Court decided that local/regional elections would be separated from national elections.