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.
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 to postpone the ratification of the election law changes, the main reason for the delay was the lack of quorum. As candidate registration begins on Tuesday, it would be inadequate to raise the issue again next week.