Saldi Isra Expressed That The Constitutional Court's Attitude Changed After Anwar Usman Participated In A Meeting To Discuss The Age Limit Decision Of The Presidential And Vice Presidential Candidates

JAKARTA - Constitutional Court (MK) Judge Saldi Isra revealed the change in the attitude of the judges of the Court on the decision of a number of judicial review cases regarding the age limit of the presidential and vice presidential candidates.

This was revealed by Saldi Isra in a dissenting opinion or different opinion on the decision of the case numbered 90/PUU-XXI/2023 submitted by a student from Surakarta named Almas Tsaibbirru Re A.

Saldi explained, in the judge's deliberation meeting (RPH) which discussed the case decision number 29-51-55/PUU-XXI/2023, the Constitutional Court agreed to reject the lawsuit filed.

The lawsuit was filed by PSI by asking for the minimum age limit for presidential and vice-presidential candidates to be lowered to 35 years. Then, the case filed by the Garuda Party and the case of the Mayor of Bukittinggi Erman Safar et al who asked for an additional experience as a state administrator as a condition other than the minimum age of 40 years.

"It was recorded that the RPH dated September 19, 2023, was not attended by Constitutional Justices and at the same time Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman. As a result, six Constitutional Justices, as directed by the Constitutional Court Decision Number 29-51-55/PUU-XXI/2023, agreed to reject the application and continue to position Article 169 letter q of Law 7/2017 as an open legal policy for legislators," explained Saldi Isra in the Court building courtroom, Monday, October 16.

However, when Anwar Usman, who is also the brother-in-law of President Joko Widodo, attended the RPH which discussed the case filed by the student from Surakarta, it turned out that the results of the verdict were inversely proportional to the previous case.

In this case, the Constitutional Court partially granted a lawsuit regarding the age limit for presidential and vice-presidential candidates aged at least 40 years or experienced as regional heads, both at the provincial and district/city levels.

In other words, regional heads under the age of 40 can now become presidential and vice-presidential candidates. One of the Constitutional Court judges who expressed his dissenting opinion, Saldi Isra admitted that he was confused by the decision.

"In fact, the change in the composition of the Judges which decided eight people in Number 29-51-55/PUU-XXI/2023 to nine people in Case Number 90-91/PUU-XXI/2023 is not just distorting the considerations and verdicts, but reversing 180 degrees of decision from refusing to grant it, even though it is coupled with 'partial' frills," he said.

Saldi Isra admitted that he was confused by the decision. "I am confused and really confused about where to start this dissenting opinion," said Saldi Isra in the Court Building courtroom, he added.