Indonesia shelves plan to revise election law as protests rage

JAKARTA: Indonesia's parliament shelved planned changes to electoral laws on Thursday after protesters in the capital set fires and faced down tear gas and water cannon over legislation they say would weaken opponents of the outgoing president and his successor.

The legislature, dominated by supporters of outgoing President Joko Widodo and his successor, Prabowo Subianto, was scheduled to vote to reverse changes to election laws made by the constitutional court, a ruling that effectively reopened a chance for a vocal government critic to run in regional elections.

Parties backing Prabowo had earlier this week rallied behind a single candidate for the influential post of Jakarta governor, killing off chances of the president-elect's rival, Anies Baswedan, from running.

Anies at the time needed the backing from a party or a coalition of parties with at least 20% of seats in the local parliament, under rules for regional elections in place since 2016.

But Tuesday's Constitutional Court ruling had lowered the threshold to under 10%, giving Anies a chance to be nominated by the only party that has not named a candidate, PDIP.

The national parliament had sought to return to the previous threshold, contradicting the country's highest court in a move critics said would favour the outgoing president and his family, and the incoming government, as they consolidate power and freeze out any opposition.

"This is a republic. It's a democracy, but if its leadership is decided by one person, or an oligarchy, we can't accept that," said 29-year-old teacher Afif Sidik.

NO CHANGE BEFORE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS

On Thursday, deputy parliament speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad told Reuters that deliberations would be resumed by the incoming parliament, meaning there would be no change for this year's regional elections, scheduled for November.

That means Anies will be able to seek the Jakarta governor's office if PDIP nominates him.

The parliament decision came as security forces fired tear gas and water cannon as protesters breached and set ablaze part of the gates of parliament, while demonstrations broke out across the country against the election law changes.

Thousands gathered outside parliament to protest against the move to reverse the court ruling, carrying signs accusing Widodo, widely known as "Jokowi", of nepotism and destroying democracy. Others carried a mock guillotine bearing his face.

The now-postponed legislation would also have paved the way for Jokowi's youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, 29, to run in elections in Central Java this November by tweaking rules on age requirements.

The protests were sparked by a battle over which branch of government has ultimate jurisdiction in determining election rules, after the parliament had said it planned to ratify changes to the law on Thursday morning.

Legal experts and election analysts had warned the stand-off between parliament and the judiciary was pushing the country towards a constitutional crisis.

'TIPPING POINT OF ANGER'

The unusual wave of protests comes amid mounting anger with what is seen as the Jokowi administration's attempts to consolidate power, analysts say.

"This is a culmination, we have reached a tipping point of anger and frustration now," said Made Supriatma, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

Last year the constitutional court, at the time headed by Jokowi's brother-in-law, issued a ruling that also changed the eligibility rules for elections, clearing a path for Jokowi's eldest son, 36-year-old Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to successfully run for vice-president.

Prabowo, and Gibran will be inaugurated on Oct. 20.

The president, who maintains strong personal popularity ratings, sought to downplay the conflict, describing it on Wednesday as part of the standard "checks and balances" of government.

But the power struggle caps a week of dramatic political developments in the world's third-largest democracy, including the surprise resignation of the head of the Golkar party, who was replaced on Wednesday with a Jokowi loyalist.

The shake-up of the country's second-largest party is seen as one way the outgoing president could retain influence post-presidency, party members say.

Elected in 2014 at a time when he was perceived as a democratic icon, Jokowi leaves office with a strong economic record but also one coloured by deepening corruption and old-time patronage politics.

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