Indonesia - March 2025

The Constitutional Court ruled on 20 March that national and local legislators are barred from resigning their posts with the stated purpose of contesting regional executive elections. Regional elections are typically held several months after national elections, and the complaint detailed numerous cases where newly-elected MPs resigned ostensibly to contest regional elections, but in practice appeared to be resigning to allow party leadership to reallocate parliamentary seats for personal or patrimonial considerations. In the most recent electoral cycle, nineteen MPs-elect resigned their seats between winning election and taking their seats to instead contest the November 2024 regional head elections. Lawmakers critical and supportive of the ruling said parliament plans to take its guidance into account as it revises electoral laws in upcoming parliamentary sessions.

Source: Jakarta Post, Kompas