Indonesia - October 2023

A 5-4 majority on Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled on 16 October that candidates under 40 who had been elected to regional-level positions would be eligible to run for president or vice president, opening the path for President Joko Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to contest next year’s presidential election. There were previously no exceptions to the age limit. On 23 October, current defense minister and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto named Gibran as his vice-presidential running mate. The decision raised concerns that Jokowi was attempting to retain political influence after leaving office next year ind building a family political dynasty. Supreme Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman is also Gibran’s uncle, with one of the dissenting judges stating that  the decision “can be described as beyond the limits of fair reasoning.”

Sources: Jakarta Post, Reuters, The Guardian