Pilkada Bill Canceled, PKS: As Expected

Spokesperson for the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Muhammad Kholid / PHOTO via pks.id

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Prosperous Justice Party Muhammad Kholid assessed that the cancellation of the revision of the Pilkada Law by the DPR RI was in accordance with the expectations of the community. PKS also appreciated this.

"This is the right decision and in accordance with the expectations of the community. Hopefully this will be a lesson for all of us," said Kholid in his statement, Friday, August 23.

Kholid emphasized that all parties must maintain the dignity of democracy by implementing the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) which is final and binding.

On the one hand, Kholid also appreciated the people who were engaged in demonstrations against the revision of the Pilkada Law. They are considered successful in maintaining public control.

"Public control continues, and public rationality still gets its place, we appreciate the people's movement," explained Kholid.

Previously, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, confirmed that the ratification of the Pilkada Bill was canceled. For this reason, he ensured that the registration of regional head candidates on August 27, 2024, would apply the decision of the Constitutional Court.

"What will take effect is the decision of the Constitutional Court's JR (judicial review) to grant the Labor Party and Gelora Party claims," Dasco said in X's official social media account which was uploaded on Thursday.

The Constitutional Court granted part of the lawsuit against the Pilkada Law and stated that parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the election could nominate candidates for regional heads even though they did not have DPRD seats.

Through decision Number 60/PUU-XXII/2024, the Constitutional Court changed the rules in Article 40 of the Pilkada Law which regulates the threshold for candidacy in the Pilkada. The Constitutional Court stated that Article 40 paragraph (3) of the Pilkada Law was unconstitutional.

With the Constitutional Court's decision, the threshold for submitting candidate pairs that will contest the Pilkada simultaneously changes from 20 percent of the DPRD's seat acquisition or 25 percent of the Legislative Election's valid votes to 6.5 percent to a maximum of 10 percent which is classified based on the number of Permanent Voter Lists (DPT) for each Province and Regency/City throughout Indonesia.

Not only about the threshold for candidacy, but the Constitutional Court also decided on a lawsuit regarding the age requirements for regional head candidates. The Constitutional Court rejected a lawsuit regarding the examination of the provisions for the minimum age requirements for regional head candidates.

From this decision, the Constitutional Court emphasized that the minimum age limit requirement for 30 years for governor and deputy governor candidates as well as 25 years for candidates for regent and deputy regent as well as candidates for mayor and mayor candidate has been calculated since the appointment of the person concerned as a regional head candidate by the KPU, not when the election of the elected candidate.