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Critics call chief justice to step down as he is to wed Jokowi's sister
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Constitutional Court chief justice Anwar Usman reads out a ruling on a 2019 presidential election dispute on June 27, 2019. (JP/Donny Fernando)
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onstitutional Court chief justice Anwar Usman will tie the knot with Idayati, the younger sister of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, prompting a public debate over whether Anwar should step down to maintain the credibility and integrity of one of the country's most powerful institutions.
Idayati, a 55-year-old mother of three, confirmed the news to Antara on Monday, saying the marriage ceremony would be held on May 26 this year in Surakarta, Central Java and May 28 in Anwar's hometown Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara.
“[We were] introduced by a friend back in October," Idayati said.
Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son who followed his father’s footsteps into politics and rose to become the mayor of Surakarta, revealed on Monday that the engagement took place on March 12 and was attended by his father, according to local media reports.
While many have argued that any marriage is a private matter, Anwar and Idayati’s wedding plan has sparked a public debate over whether Anwar should resign from his office to avoid any potential conflicts of interest and biased practices in the court.
Anwar is a two-time justice appointed by the Supreme Court, who had his tenure extended from 2021 to 2026 following a September 2020 amendment to the Constitutional Court Law that increases the justice term from two five-year terms to 15 years. He has served as the chief justice since 2018.
Read also: Explainer: The problem with the 'cosmetic' Constitutional Court law revision
