JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) encourages the General Election Commission (KPU) not to follow up on the decision of the Supreme Court (MA), regarding the calculation of the age limit for regional head candidates. Perludem Executive Director Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati explained that the Supreme Court’s decision to change the age requirement for regional head candidates is contrary to the Law on Pilkada. “The KPU should just ignore the Supreme Court’s decision. The KPU should stick to the Pilkada Law,” said Khoirunnisa when contacted on Wednesday (5/6/2024).
The Supreme Court’s decision regarding changes in the age requirements for regional head candidates, said Khoirunnisa, only canceled the rules in the KPU Regulation (PKPU). On the other hand, the age requirement in the Pilkada Law has not changed. It is the law that should be obeyed by the KPU. “The requirements in the Pilkada Law have not changed. It still states that the candidate requirement is at least 30 years old. What the Supreme Court canceled was PKPU,” said Khoirunnisa. Previously reported, the Supreme Court granted an application for judicial review (HUM) filed by the Chairman of the Garda Perubahan Indonesia (Garuda) Party Ahmad Ridha Sabana.
The material test against the General Elections Commission (KPU) was carried out in relation to the minimum age limit for candidates for governor and deputy governor. “HUM’s petition is granted,” reads decision Number 23 P/HUM/2024 quoted from the Supreme Court website, Thursday (30/5/2024). Based on this decision, a person can run as a candidate for governor and deputy governor if they are at least 30 years old and a candidate for regent and deputy regent or candidate for mayor and deputy mayor if they are at least 25 years old when they are inaugurated, not when they are determined as a candidate pair. This decision was examined and adjudicated by a panel of judges led by Supreme Court Justice Yulius and Supreme Court Justice Cerah Bangun and Supreme Court Justice Yodi. It took the Supreme Court only 3 days to change the age requirement for regional head candidates.
This article was published on Kompas.com with the title “Perludem: KPU Should Just Ignore Supreme Court Decision on Age Limit”, https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2024/06/05/15182881/perludem-kpu-seharusnya-abaikan-saja-putusan-ma-soal-batas-usia.