The Constitutional Court Changes The Threshold For Regional Head Election Candidacy, Anies Is Grateful

The trial for the 2024 General Election, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 (doc Diah Ayu Wardani/VOI).

JAKARTA - Anies Baswedan is grateful for the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) which changed the threshold for the age of nomination of regional heads in the regional elections. Because, with this decision, the opportunity to run as a candidate for governor of Jakarta is again open. The Constitutional Court allows parties to carry cagub-cawagub with a minimum of 7.5 percent of the legal votes for legislative elections (pileg) in provinces with a population of 6-12 million like Jakarta. Anies' gratitude was conveyed by his spokesman, Angga Putra Fidrian. According to him, the Constitutional Court's decision can accommodate more candidates for public choice. "Alhamdulillah, the Constitutional Court's decision can give the opportunity for a candidate to describe the aspirations of the citizens of Jakarta completely. Hopefully, as soon as the Constitutional Court's decision, the KPU will immediately change the rules so that there can be more best choices for the citizens of Jakarta," said Angga in his statement, Tuesday, August 20. On that occasion, Angga asked the General Elections Commission (KPU) to immediately accommodate the Constitutional Court's decision before the registration period for regional head candidates on 27-29 August. "Hopefully, as soon as the Constitutional Court's decision, the KPU will immediately change its rules so that there will be more best choices for Jakarta residents," said Angga. The panel of judges at the Constitutional Court granted part of the request for judicial review of Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors (UU Pilkada). Where, political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the previous election can nominate candidates for regional heads even though they do not have DPRD seats. "Granted the petitioners' petition for part," said Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Suhartoyo when reading the verdict at the Constitutional Court Building, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, August 20. The Constitutional Court stated that Article 40 paragraph (3) of the Unconstitutional Regional Head Election Law. Where, political parties or coalitions of political parties propose that pairs of candidates use the provisions to obtain at least 25 percent of the accumulation of valid votes as referred to in paragraph (1), this provision only applies to political parties that obtain seats on the representative council of the regional people. Then, the Constitutional Court changed the contents of the article by stating that political parties or coalitions of political parties can register candidates if the province with a population of people contained in the voter list remains more than 6 million to 12 million people, political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the election must obtain a valid vote of at least 7.5 percent in the province. If you look at the mapping of candidacy in the Jakarta Pilkada, there are already 12 political parties that will carry the Ridwan Kamil-Suswono pair. Only the PDI Perjuangan (PDIP), political parties, obtained around 14 percent of the votes in the DKI Jakarta DPRD legislative election.

So, with this putsan, PDIP can still carry Jakarta cagubs without having to look for coalition political parties. Likewise with Anies Baswedan, who is still likely to be promoted by political parties to become the Jakarta cagub.