Presidential Threshold Removed, Government Discusses Impact For 2029 Presidential Election

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra stated that the government respects the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) which abolished the presidential threshold or the threshold for nominating the president and vice president.

"According to the provisions of Article 24C of the 1945 Constitution, the Constitutional Court's decision is the first and final decision. The verdict is final and binding (finals and bindings)," said Yusril in a written statement in Jakarta, Friday, December 3.

Coordinating Minister Yusril emphasized that all parties, including the government, are bound by the Constitutional Court's decision to cancel the provisions of Article 222 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections related to the presidential threshold.

The government realizes that the request to test the provisions of Article 222 of the Election Law has been carried out more than 30 times, and only this last test has been granted.

Yusril said the government saw a change in the attitude of the Constitutional Court towards the constitutionality of the norms of Article 222 of the Election Law.

"However, whatever the legal considerations of the Constitutional Court in taking the decision, the government respects and cannot comment, because all of this is the authority of the Constitutional Court which is sourced from the 1945 Constitution," said Yusril.

Coordinating Minister Yusril added, after the three decisions of the Constitutional Court Number 87, 121 and 129/PUU-XXII/2024 canceled the presidential threshold, the internal government will certainly discuss its implications for the implementation of the 2029 presidential election.

"If changes and additional norms are needed in the Election Law due to the abolition of the presidential threshold, the government will certainly work together with the DPR," said Yusril.

"All stakeholders including KPU and Bawaslu, academics, election activists and the public will certainly be involved in the discussion later," concluded Yusril regarding the Constitutional Court, removing the presidential threshold.