“I deeply appreciate that; I highly respect it,” he stressed, urging that such opinions be expressed in an orderly and peaceful manner.
He made the statement in response to recent demonstrations opposing the House of Representatives’ (DPR’s) plan to amend the Regional Head Elections Law (UU Pilkada), which led to the detention of a number of protesters.
“I hope that the detained demonstrators will be released promptly,” he said.
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Jokowi also commended the DPR’s swift action in dropping its plan to revise the law.
He expressed the hope that other urgent issues, including the Asset Seizure Law (UU Perampasan Aset), crucial for anti-corruption efforts, will be addressed soon by the DPR.
On August 20, 2024, the Constitutional Court (MK) ruled that the threshold for nominating candidates for regional head elections should be solely based on votes gained in regional elections instead of seats in regional parliaments.
The MK also directed that the age threshold for regional head candidates—30 years for governors and 25 years for district heads and mayors—be calculated from the day of their registration.
However, on August 21, the DPR Legislative Body and the government approved revisions to the UU Pilkada for ratification at a plenary session. The revisions only partly adhered to the MK rulings.
The DPR's action sparked public uproar, culminating in demonstrations in several cities. The protest in Jakarta was centered at the Parliament Complex, where thousands of students and members of the public gathered to protest against it.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Anton Santoso
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
