Kaleidoscope 2023: Constitutional Court Decision Becomes Gibran Rakabuming Raka's Red Carpet As Vice Presidential Candidate

Candidate for vice president serial number 2 Gibran Rakabuming Raka (center) took a photo with starling after the declaration at the East Plaza GBK, Jakarta, Tuesday (12/12/2023). (Between/Aprillio Abdullah Akbar)

"With this, it further strengthens people's suspicion that this decision was made to accommodate Gibran Rakabuming Raka," said political observer from Al Azhar Indonesia University Andriadi Achmad, regarding the decision of the Constitutional Court in mid-October.

On October 16, 2023 became the day the Indonesian people had been waiting for. On that day, the Constitutional Court (MK) was scheduled to read out the verdict for the judicial review of the terms of age for presidential and vice presidential candidates. At that time, it was known that the majority of the public were only the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) who filed a lawsuit.

So, when the Constitutional Court finally rejected PSI's lawsuit asking for a minimum age limit for presidential and vice presidential candidates to 35 years to be welcomed positively. But it turns out that this party, which is synonymous with millennials, is not the only plaintiff in the Constitutional Court.

There were 11 age limit lawsuits for the presidential and vice presidential candidates that were filed. And in the afternoon of the same day, the Constitutional Court announced that it would grant a lawsuit with case number 90/PUU-XXI/2023 submitted by a student from Surakarta Almas Tsaqibbirru. From this decision, the conditions for candidacy for presidential and vice presidential candidates are a minimum of 40 years or occupy positions elected from elections/Pilkada.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) records, there are 42 people or 8.66 percent of the total 485 regional heads who are still under 40 years old as of October 17, 2023. There are the names of the Deputy Governor of East Java, Emil Dardak who is 31 years old and the Regent of Kediri Hanindito, Himawan Pramana who is 31 years old.

However, the public immediately concluded that the decision was made so that Gibran Rakabuming Raka could step up in the 2024 presidential election contestation. At that time, President Joko Widodo's eldest son was indeed intensively connected to Prabowo Subianto, a presidential candidate from the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM).

The decision immediately became a popular topic on social media and was discussed in all Indonesian media. The authority of the Constitutional Court as a state institution collapsed, and the label as a Family Court became increasingly attached because it was chaired by Anwar Usman, the man who married Jokowi's younger brother.

It is difficult to deny that the Constitutional Court's decision is indeed to perpetuate Gibran's path to fighting in the 2024 General Election. Political observer and Director of Indonesia Political Opinion (IPO) Dedi Kurnia Syah Putra said the Constitutional Court's decision smelled too much of a political nuance.

"The Constitutional Court's decision is getting thicker and has a political nuance and tends to defend only one person for the context of 2024, namely Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the Constitutional Court does not want to be considered vulgarly in favor of the interests of the Jokowi family, but the substance of the decision clearly deceive several plaintiffs, including the public, because in fact, even though they are under 40 years old, they can participate in contestation, this decision is worse than granting the age limit lawsuit," said Dedi to VOI.

"If the lawsuit (age limit) is granted, then the right to contestation belongs to all citizens without exception, with the current Constitutional Court's decision only for those who are already in power. The Constitutional Court seems to be deceiving the public," said Dedi.

And, as many parties suspect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka was finally appointed as Vice President Prabowo Subianto. The announcement was made by the chairman of the Gerindra Party Prabowo at his residence on Jalan Kertanegara, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta on the evening of October 22.

The Prabowo-Gibran pair received serial number two based on the draw for the Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates number organized by the General Elections Commission (KPU) on November 14.

However, behind Gibran's progress as a vice presidential candidate, some must be sacrificed. Among them is the position of Anwar Usman who was fired from his position as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court after being declared to have committed a serious ethical violation by the Constitutional Court Honorary Council.

Not to mention related to Jokowi's image that was tarnished at the end of his leadership. The image that the former Mayor of Solo had built for two periods was damaged by the Constitutional Court's decision. Jokowi will be considered a figure who uses power for the benefit of his family.

The one who is also harmed is Jokowi himself. Jokowi's good name, dignity and dignity are destroyed. Not to mention the Constitutional Court which has been linked to the Family Court and the alleged practice of political dynasties," said the Executive Director of the Voxpol Research Center, Pangi Syarwi Chaniago.

The allegation that Jokowi wants to perpetuate a strong political dynasty in the country. During his leadership, the family of the former Governor of DKI Jakarta held an important position. For example, Bobby Nasution, his son-in-law, who became the Mayor of Medan, then Kaesang Pangarep who was appointed chairman of PSI and the latest Gibran Rakabuming Raka ran for Cawapres despite his experience in Indonesian political midfielders only as long as corn.