31-5-2024 (JAKARTA) In a move that has sparked widespread speculation, Indonesia’s Supreme Court has approved regulatory changes regarding the age of candidates in regional elections. The ruling comes amid growing speculation that President Joko Widodo’s 29-year-old son, Kaesang Pangarep, is seeking to run in the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial elections scheduled for November.
The Supreme Court’s decision follows a petition filed last month by the Garuda Party, an obscure group aligned with the ruling coalition. The petition called for amendments to the existing rules, allowing candidates to be 30 years old when they are inaugurated, rather than on the date when the election commission confirms their bid.
Suharto, a spokesperson for the court, confirmed the court’s approval of the changes, stating, “It is so that Indonesia can be led by youngsters,” according to Teddy Gusnady, a Garuda Party spokesperson.
The surprise ruling has fueled speculation that President Widodo’s youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, who turns 30 in December, is being groomed for the role of deputy governor of Jakarta. Kaesang, best known for his fried banana business and recent appointment as head of Indonesia’s Solidarity Party (PSI), has been the subject of mock election posters circulating on social media, featuring him alongside Budisatrio Djiwandono, the nephew of president-elect Prabowo Subianto.
While officials from Prabowo’s Gerindra party and the PSI have not yet responded to questions about Kaesang’s potential candidacy, the mock posters were shared on Gerindra’s official Instagram page and by a top Gerindra official.
The court ruling has reignited concerns about the extent of dynastic politics in Indonesia’s democracy and the perceived attempts to undermine the integrity of the country’s top courts.
In February, former military commander Prabowo won the presidential election with his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Widodo. Gibran’s candidacy was enabled by controversial changes to election law, a revision that was also proposed by the Garuda Party.
However, legal experts have raised doubts about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court’s ruling in enabling Kaesang’s candidacy for the Jakarta deputy governorship. Titi Anggraini, a legal expert, stated, “Since the age requirement is regulated in the regional election law, if there’s any appeal, it should be filed to the Constitutional Court, not the Supreme Court. So, Kaesang should not be able to register in the 2024 regional election.”
Political expert Dr. Cecep Hidayat from the University of Indonesia expressed concerns over the swift manner in which the Supreme Court took up and ruled on the case, despite no apparent urgent need to do so. “Moreover, it was preceded by posters that appeared on social media. It seems there are prerequisites and agenda settings,” he said.
