The Presidential Palace issued a statement on Friday that it remained committed to supporting the holding of the 2024 general elections in February next year and that it would continue to provide assistance to the General Elections Commission (KPU) in its planning for the democratic process.

Jaleswari Pramodhawardani, a senior official at the Executive Office of the President, said on Friday the government "is still committed" to holding the elections on time and called for calm.

"Please don't be provoked by information or movements aimed at muddying the water. Trust the KPU to make the best move," Jaleswari said in a statement.

The Central Jakarta District Court ruled on Thursday that the KPU must halt all election preparations for more than two years and effectively delayed the February 2024 elections. The decision, which has drawn widespread criticism, stemmed from a lawsuit filed by an obscure party after its application to contest the election was rejected last year.

The KPU said it would appeal the ruling while forging ahead with organizing the polls.

The ruling has revived a debate regarding President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's tenure, where some senior political figures openly back the idea of him staying in office beyond his second term, which ends next year, while others warn such a move would roll back two decades of hard-won democratic reforms.

The constitution mandates a two-term limit for presidents and vice presidents and the Constitutional Court made clear in a ruling on another case on Tuesday that there could be no extension beyond that.

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