Thousands attempt to storm Indonesia parliament to protest election law changes
NBCAUG 13 2024
Lawmakers in Indonesia have halted the ratification of changes to election laws and postponed deliberations until the next parliament begins, Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad announced on Thursday after the plenary session did not meet the quorum.
This means that the proposed overhaul will not apply under the administration of Pres. Joko Widodo, who leaves office in Oct. 20 to be replaced by president-elect Prabowo Subianto, or to regional elections in November.
On Wednesday, the parliament passed an emergency motion to vote on a fast-tracked legislation after the Constitutional Court on Tuesday cut the representation threshold from 20% to under 10% and upheld the current age requirement for candidates — barring Widodo's youngest son from running in Central Java.This comes as thousands of protesters gathered outside the parliament, breached security barriers and attempted to storm the building, as they claim the election law changes would threaten democracy in the country.
spin-0Demonstrations were key to ensure that public rationality remains in place and prevent the ratification of these undemocratic changes to election laws in Indonesia. Given that rulings of the Constitutional Court are final and binding, lawmakers must implement them, instead of pushing for an overhaul.
spin-1While there is indeed a correlation between nationwide student protests on Thursday and the decision