Megawati: Inggalak The Constitutional Court's Decision Is The Same As A Constitutional Violation!

PDIP Chairman Megawati Soekarnoputri/PDIP DOCUMENTATION

Chairman of the PDI-P (PDIP) Megawati Soekarnoputri emphasized that if anyone denies the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK), then they violate the constitution.

This was revealed by Megawati in response to the current conditions, in which the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR annulled the Constitutional Court's decision regarding the nomination threshold and the age limit for regional head candidates when revising the Pilkada Law.

"Therefore, denying the Constitutional Court's decision is tantamount to violating the constitution," Megawati said in a speech at the PDIP DPP office, Central Jakarta, Thursday, August 22.

Megawati discussed this with former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Mahfud MD. To Megawati, Mahfud explained that the Constitutional Court has the authority to try a final and binding decision.

This is stated in Article 24C paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.

"If there are people who will challenge what reads in these articles, then they are not Indonesians," said Megawati.

The 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia emphasized that the constitution was born from the struggle of the founding fathers of the nation who freed Indonesia. Thus, the constitution is an extraction or outcome of indisputable thoughts.

"Although currently there are various efforts to eliminate the decision of the Constitutional Court, as the general chairman of the PDI-P, I emphasize that I must fully obey the decision of the constitutional Court," Megawati said accompanied by applause from the cadres.

Previously, the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR agreed to bring the draft Revision of Law (RUU) Number 10 of 2016 concerning Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) to the Plenary Meeting.

The change in the Pilkada Bill annulled the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) which changed the threshold for nomination requirements in the Pilkada. And the age limit for regional head candidates must be 30 years.

The agreement to bring the draft bill on the Pilkada to the Plenary Meeting was taken in a mini-fractional view meeting which was held after the Pilkada Bill Working Meeting on Wednesday, August 21.

Eight out of nine political party factions approved the change to the bill. Among them are the Gerindra, Democrat, Golkar, PKS, NasDem, PAN, PKB, and PPP factions. Only PDIP did not agree with the revision of the Pilkada Law.

The plan is for a plenary meeting to be held on Thursday, August 22 morning. However, the meeting was canceled because the presence of DPR members did not reach the quorum and would be rescheduled.

Meanwhile, many people from various circles held demonstrations in front of the DPR RI building, ranging from students, laborers, comics, to celebrities. They opposed the DPR's decision to revise the Pilkada Law because it was considered against the constitution.