In Jakarta, Indonesia, a large group of demonstrators made an attempt to breach the parliament building on Thursday. The protesters tore down a section of the fence surrounding the area, threw rocks at police officers, and caused the legislative session to be postponed. The parliament had planned to convene urgently in order to reverse a ruling by the country’s Constitutional Court relating to election procedures and make amendments.
Many of the protesters were seen holding banners and signs, while others set fires and burned tires as a form of protest. The Constitutional Court recently rejected a challenge to an age restriction that prohibits individuals under the age of 30 from running for regional governor positions. This ruling would affect President Joko Widodo’s youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, who is 29 years old.
Additionally, the court made it easier for political parties to nominate candidates by reducing the requirement for them to hold 20% of seats in a local legislature. The parliament swiftly passed an emergency resolution on Wednesday to increase the minimum age to serve as governor to 30 at the time of inauguration and to further relax nomination criteria, with plans to finalize the decision during a plenary session on Thursday.
These actions by the parliament sparked widespread criticism on local social media platforms and raised concerns about a potential constitutional crisis. Despite efforts to proceed with the vote, the legislature had to postpone it due to a lack of required members present.
The involvement of President Widodo’s family members in political matters also drew scrutiny. His eldest son is set to become the vice president after an exception was made by the court to the age limit for former regional leaders. Furthermore, Widodo’s brother-in-law, who served as chief justice, was criticized for his engagement in a case involving a close relative and was subsequently dismissed.
The protests attracted various participants, including activists, students, workers, and notable Indonesian figures from the entertainment industry. Similar demonstrations took place in other major cities like Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar, reflecting a widespread unease about the state of democracy in Indonesia.
In Yogyakarta, for instance, around 1,000 protestors comprising students and workers gathered at different government buildings to voice their opposition to the regional election bill, call for respect of the Constitutional Court’s decisions, and reject political familial dynasties. The simultaneous protests across major cities displayed public discontent with the parliament’s attempts to override the Constitutional Court’s ruling allowing more candidates to participate in regional elections, according to Yoes Kenawas, a political analyst at Atma Jaya Catholic University. Kenawas noted that the demonstrations also signified resistance to the dynastic political practices associated with President Jokowi.