DPR Duga There Will Be A Perppu Following Up On Regional Heads Not Yet 40 Years Old As Presidential And Vice Presidential Candidates

Illustration of the 2024 General Election. (Between)

Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the DPR Yanuar Prihatin suspects that the government will issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law or Perppu so that the requirements for the age of presidential and vice-presidential candidates are 40 years old unless they have experience as regional heads can apply in the 2024 presidential election.

According to him, this could happen because the registration time for presidential and vice-presidential candidates was in sight from 19-24 October.

"Time is very tight. Registration for presidential and vice-presidential candidates is open on 19-25 October 2023. It is very likely that the mechanism for changing the Election Law will be pursued through Perppu," Yanuar said in a written statement, Tuesday, October 17.

The Constitutional Court (MK) is known to grant the requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates to be at least 40 years old or have experience as regional heads on Monday, October 16, 2024.

The Constitutional Court's decision was in response to a lawsuit filed by Surakarta University student Almas Tsaqibbirru Re A. He submitted a request for a judicial review of Article 169 letter q of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections (UU Pemilu) which regulates the minimum age limit for presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

According to this PKB politician, the Constitutional Court's decision is final and binding, so there is no choice to implement.

However, the enactment of the decision is only if the Election Law has been revised or through the issuance of a Perppu by the government.

"This decision requires the revision of the Election Law to serve as a guideline for the KPU in the registration of presidential and vice-presidential candidates," said Yanuar.

Therefore, Yanuar emphasized that as long as there has been no change in the Election Law, the Constitutional Court's decision cannot be used as a reference. "So, the KPU should still be guided by the applicable law," he said.