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Lawmakers rush Constitutional Court Law revision behind closed doors
The executive and lawmakers have, for the past week, been engaged in expedited, closed-door deliberations on revisions to the Constitutional Court Law, some two and a half months ahead of the 2024 general election.
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The Constitutional Court building in Jakarta is pictured on Oct. 2, 2023. (AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba)
T
he executive and lawmakers have, for the past week, been engaged in expedited, closed-door deliberations on revisions to the Constitutional Court Law, some two and a half months ahead of the 2024 general election.
Legal experts have heavily criticized the series of clandestine meetings, saying the lack of public oversight will allow politicians to undercut the independence of the court before it rules on election disputes that may arise next year.
House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs and the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had agreed to discuss some revisions to the law in February of this year, but the proposed changes were not included in this year’s National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), and until about a week ago, hardly any meetings had been held on them.
A number of lawmakers have refused to disclose what the revisions will address. Commission III member Johan Budi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) told The Jakarta Post that the current draft of the amendment would cover the tenure and age of justices, as well as the creation of an additional deputy chief justice. He declined to give further details.
House Commission III scheduled a series of meetings this week to discuss the law’s revision.
One of the meetings was slated for Monday before being canceled by the commission shortly before it was to begin. Commission III member Supriansa of the Golkar Party confirmed the cancellation but did not provide a reason for it.
The Post later discovered that representatives of Commission III and the government held closed-door meetings at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Jakarta on Tuesday and Wednesday to deliberate the revisions.
