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JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Supreme Court has approved regulatory changes on the age of candidates in regional elections, the court said on Thursday (May 30), amid speculation that the president’s 29-year-old son will run in the upcoming Jakarta election.
Last month, a petition was filed in court seeking to change the rules so that candidates can be 30 when they take office, rather than the date their campaign is first confirmed by the Election Commission.
The court had approved changes proposed by the Garuda Party, a little-known group allied with the ruling coalition, said Suharto, the court’s spokesman.
“This is about letting young people lead Indonesia,” said Garuda Indonesia spokesman Teddy Gusnadi.
The surprising ruling came as President Joko Widodo’s youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, 29, was floated as a potential candidate for deputy governor of Jakarta, which will hold regional elections in November.
Mr Kocang, best known for his fried banana business, was recently appointed chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), but he does not turn 30 until December.
Recently, mock election posters were posted on social media featuring President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s nephew Budisatrio Djiwandono and Kaesang.
Prabowo’s BJP and PSI officials did not immediately respond to questions about Mr Kochan’s candidacy, but a senior BJP official shared the posters on the BJP’s official Instagram page on Wednesday.
The court’s ruling was based on concerns about the extent of dynastic politics in the world’s third-largest democracy and would undermine the integrity of the country’s highest court.
In February, former military commander Prabowo won the presidential election in a landslide, along with his running mate, the president’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabomin Raka, whose candidacy was made possible by controversial changes to the electoral law, also proposed by the Garuda party.
But legal experts said that if Kocan wants to run for deputy governor of Jakarta, not only election regulations but also regional election laws need to be amended.
“Since the age requirement is set out in the regional election law, if there is any appeal, it should be made to the Constitutional Court rather than the Supreme Court,” said legal expert Titi Anggraini.
“Therefore, the Kaishang should not be able to register in the 2024 local elections,” she said.
Meanwhile, a political expert told Indonesia’s BenarNews that he was shocked that the Supreme Court took up and ruled on the case so quickly when there was no urgent need.
“Also, there were some posters that appeared on social media before. It seemed like there were preconditions and agenda setting,” said Dr Cecep Hidayat, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia.
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