Legislators tried to reverse court rulings related to election rules
Originally published on Global Voices
Protesters outside Indonesia's House of Representatives. Screenshot from the video “Protests erupt in Java, Indonesia over election law changes | The World” from the ABC News (Australia) YouTube channel. Fair use.
Indonesian legislators withdrew two proposals related to regional election laws after thousands of mostly young protesters organized rallies in at least 16 cities across the country.
On August 20, the Constitutional Court issued two important rulings: First, it lowered the threshold for parties to nominate candidates, which would broaden the competition in the upcoming November regional election. Second, it clarified that local officials should be at least 30 years old during the time when they registered their candidacy.
On August 21, ruling coalition members in the House of Representatives announced their intent to pass amendments that would overturn the ruling of the court. Specifically, their proposal would restrict the number of parties which can nominate candidates, and the minimum age for eligible candidates will apply during their inauguration, and not during the registration. The proposal of legislators would bar Jokowi’s rivals from fielding candidates while allowing his 29-year-old son to run as deputy governor.
News of the planned amendments quickly stirred public outrage, especially among students and young activists. They accused outgoing president Joko Widodo (Jokowi), whose term will end in October, of orchestrating a last-minute attempt to boost his influence and control of local politics.
This is not the first time that rules were amended to accommodate Jokowi’s family. His eldest son was able to run as vice president in February 2024 after the minimum age for elected candidates was lowered from 40 to 35.
On August 22, massive protests erupted across the country. In the capital Jakarta, protesters stormed the entrance of the House of Representatives and faced-off with the police.
“We reject political dynasties and the erosion of democracy by a certain party,” said student activist Arga Luthfi in Yogyakarta, whose sentiment echoed the popular message of the protest.
Two hashtags trended during the protest: #KawalPutusanMK (protect the Constitutional Court ruling) and #PeringatanDarurat (emergency warning). The latter was posted on social media featuring a screen grab of the national emblem against a blue background symbolizing the urgency of the situation.
It is accompanied by a video clip announcing an emergency alarm: “Emergency warning to civilians against anomalous activities that have just been detected by the government of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.”
Former Corruption Eradication Commission chairman Abraham Samad explained why the emergency icon resonated with many. “The country’s democracy is really in a state of emergency. We’re witnessing a constitutional robbery at the House.
— Mata Najwa (@MataNajwa) August 21, 2024
The government responded by violently dispersing the protests with the police using batons and tear gas to block protesters. More than 300 were arrested, including minors, in the capital. At least 11 journalists were injured while covering the protests.
In an editorial, Tempo.Co news website condemned the use of violence against the peaceful protests.
The brutality by police officers when breaking up the demonstrations over the last two weeks shows the real face of the Joko Widodo administration. This is a government that appears not to care and has become accustomed to ignoring criticism that comes without mass support. On the other hand, when criticism is expressed in mass demonstrations, the government quickly responds to it.
Global human rights groups added that “the brutal crackdown on protests against Parliament's attempts to rig election laws shows a blatant disregard of the right to peaceful assembly.”
On August 23, legislators announced that they have decided to scrap the proposed amendments.
Research firm Tenggara Strategics wrote that the protest handed Jokowi his first major political defeat.
The episode shows that Jokowi is no longer as invincible as he has been before.
It also shows that the House, in which eight of the nine parties are members of his coalition government, is no longer fully under his control. Previously, whatever legislation he wanted, he got it.
Researchers Ika Ningtyas and Nuurrianti Jalli highlighted the significance of the online and youth-led protests.
Despite his purported popularity, Jokowi’s decade in office was characterised by declining civil liberties, the weakening of democratic institutions, human rights violations, and the use of laws and other legal tools to repress or block dissenters while raising his own kin into public office.
The “Peringatan Darurat” movement represents a significant moment in Indonesian politics, demonstrating the power of social media to rapidly mobilise mass protests amidst the public’s growing frustration with Jokowi’s attempts to consolidate power within his family.
Protests continued even after the withdrawal of the bills in Congress. On August 28, students protested outside the government guest house in Yogyakarta to denounce corruption and nepotism under the Jokowi administration.
