PIKIRAN RAKYAT - The Central Jakarta Court District ruled in favor of Prima Party, which filed a lawsuit against the General Election Commission (KPU) on Thursday, March 2, 2023. The court ordered KPU to postpone the 2024 election.

Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security, Mahfud MD, responded to the court’s ruling ordering KPU to postpone the stages of the 2024 general election. He assessed that the Court District has no legal authority over the stages of the general election.

"I invite the KPU to appeal and oppose the court’s ruling, I believe the KPU will win," Mahfud MD said on his social media.

The 65-year-old ministry explained that disputes related to the process, administration, and election results are regulated separately in the law. The authority over election disputes is not in the District Court. Furthermore, disputes preceding the voting day related to the administration process must be decided by the Election Supervisory Body or Bawaslu. He added that the disputes over the membership for election can only be brought to the Administrative Court (PTUN).

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As for the decision regarding the election date, Mahfud MD explained it is under the authority of the Administrative Court. On the other hand, he argued that the election stages have already begun and could not be interrupted because of a party issue.

Prima Party, Mahfud MD said, has lost the dispute both in the Election Supervisory Body and Administrative Court. The party has no legal right to sue KPU through District Court because the disputes happened before the voting day.

"If there is a dispute after voting or a dispute over election results, it is in the authority of the Constitutional Court (MK)," Mahfud MD explained.

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He explained that there is no sentence to postpone the election date determined by the District Court, therefore the Central Jakarta District Court ruling could not be legally binding for the KPU.

On the other hand, President Joko Widodo has asserted that the stages for the 2024 elections will begin mid-June this year in accordance with the provisions of Article 167, paragraph 6, of Law Number 7 of 2017, which states that the election stages must begin 20 months before the voting day.

The President also ordered relevant stakeholders to immediately complete regulations for the 2024 simultaneous and regional elections, adding that he has also ordered the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, to work with the House of Representatives (DPR) and the KPU so that the regulations can be detailed.***