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Constitutional Court starts hearing petitions on blank boxes petition in regional races
Allowing a blank box on the ballots of all regional elections, including those with multiple candidate pairs, will allow voters to exercise political protest and create healthier competitions in regions, plaintiffs have said in the preliminary hearing for their petitions.
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Constitutional Court Chief Justice Suhartoyo (center) presides over a hearing on a judicial review petition regarding the age requirement for candidates of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders at the court's building in Jakarta on Sept. 12. (Antara/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
The Constitutional Court started hearing judicial review petitions requesting the allowance to put a kotak kosong (blank box) on the ballots of all upcoming simultaneous regional elections in November as a form of protest against the political elites.
The Nov. 27 regional elections will be the first time that voters simultaneously elect their governors, mayors and regents in more than 500 regions.
But one province and 34 regencies will see uncontested elections with only a single candidate pair registering their bids with the local offices of the General Elections Commission (KPU), despite repeated attempts from the poll body to encourage parties to field alternative candidates.
In uncontested elections, voters will have the option for either the sole candidate pair or the blank box next to them. Voting for the box is different from abstention as the vote will be counted as valid.
But plaintiffs of two judicial review petitions are calling for the blank box to appear on every ballot in every regional election, including those with multiple candidates running.
On Wednesday, the court held back-to-back preliminary hearings on the two petitions, starting with the one filed by three lawyers from Jakarta and Tangerang, Banten: Heriyanto, Ramdansyah and Muhammad Raziv Barokah.
Read also: Court petition shows growing discontent with uncontested races: Observers
