Close To Prabowo, Jimly Asshiddiqie Netral Doubts To Be A Member Of The MKMK

Former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) Jimly Asshiddiqie (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) Jimly Asshiddiqie apparently met a presidential candidate from the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM), Prabowo Subianto. Thus, his position as a member of the Constitutional Court Honorary Council (MKMK) is considered full of conflicts of interest.

This was conveyed by the Executive Director of the Public Virtue Research Institute (PVRI) Yansen Dinata who said Jimly had met Prabowo in May 2023.

"From that meeting, Jimly once acknowledged his support for Prabowo in the 2024 presidential election," Yansen said as quoted from his written statement, Tuesday, October 24.

Not only that, Yansen assessed that Jimly had a close relationship with the Gerindra Party. This is because one of his children, Robby Ashiddiqie, is a cadre of the party made by Prabowo Subianto.

In the Gerindra Party structure Robby is Deputy Secretary General (Wasekjen) and fully written his name, Robby Ferliansyah Asshiddiqie. The Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) ratified the position structure signed by the Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna H. Laoly.

This condition, called Yansen, can cause a very serious conflict of interest. PVRI even considers the democratic condition in the country to be in danger because it makes the public question the credibility of the Constitutional Court.

"With the current condition of the Constitutional Court and the composition of the honorary assembly, it is difficult to hope for a fair decision if there is a political dispute in the election participants," he said.

"A fair election requires judicial power who dares to check and balances for executive state administrators," Yansen continued.

Previously reported, the Constitutional Court officially formed an honorary panel to handle reports of alleged violations of the Constitutional Court judge's code of ethics on the decision on the age limit for presidential and vice presidential candidates. In Constitutional Court Regulation Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Honorary Council of the Constitutional Court, the formation of the MKMK is an ad hoc with a term of office of 3 years.

This position was then filled by constitutional law expert Jimly Asshiddiqie who is also the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court for the 2003-2008 period, the Constitutional Court Ethics Council for the 2017-2020 period Bintan Saragih, and the Constitutional Court Judge Wahiduddin Adams.

They will work to handle the seven incoming reports, including allegations of ethical violations of the Constitutional Court judges who granted the requirements for experienced presidential and vice presidential candidates to become regional heads even though they were not yet 40 years old.

Then, there was also a report asking Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman to resign. There were also those who reported the nine judges of the Constitutional Court, ranging from those who granted the requirements for regional heads not yet 40 years old to become presidential and vice-presidential candidates, to those who issued dissenting opinions or different opinions.