Observer: The Court Is Eligible To Accept PKS's Lawsuit Regarding The 20 Percent Presidential Threshold

JAKARTA - Political communication observer at Esa Unggul University, Jamiluddin Ritonga, assessed that the PKS lawsuit related to the 20 percent presidential threshold (PT) to the Constitutional Court (MK) deserved to be granted. Although, previously similar lawsuits have been made and rejected by the Court.

Because according to Jamiluddin, the Court generally rejects PT 20 percent's lawsuit because the claimant is not the holder of the legal standing or the legal right to challenge the rule. According to the Constitutional Court, the holders of legal standing are political parties, as regulated in Article 222 of the Election Law.

"Therefore, there is hope that the PKS lawsuit can be accepted by the Court. PKS as a political party certainly has the legal standing to file a 20 percent lawsuit against PT", said Jamiluddin in Jakarta, Wednesday, July 6.

If the 20 percent PT lawsuit is granted by the Court, he continued, alternative presidential candidates will emerge. Political parties participating in the general election can automatically nominate a presidential and vice-presidential candidate.

"If there are many pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates, of course, it will be difficult for the oligarchs to marry each other. The oligarchs can no longer dictate the pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates they want", he said.

According to Jamiluddin, the various pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates can also minimize the political polarization in the country. This is because such politics only strengthens identity politics which is dangerous for the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

"So, the Constitutional Court should grant PKS's claim. This decision can further strengthen democracy in the country, as well as the election of a quality presidential-vice-presidential pair", he concluded.