Election law changes spark massive protests

Thousands of people in Indonesia have gathered to protest against the government’s attempt to overturn a Constitutional Court ruling that would open elections to smaller party rivals.

Demonstrators gathered outside parliament in the capital Jakarta and other major cities including Padang, Bandung and Yogyakarta.

On Wednesday, Indonesia’s Supreme Court ruled that political parties do not need to have at least 20% representation in their regional parliaments to select candidates.

Within 24 hours, however, parliament introduced an emergency motion to reverse the changes, a move that sparked widespread condemnation and fears of a constitutional crisis.

The fast-track legislation, which would overturn some of the court’s ruling, is expected to pass later Thursday.

It would maintain the status quo, which benefits parties in the governing coalition of outgoing President Joko Widodo and his successor Prabowo Subianto. As a result, many local elections are expected to be uncontested.

The parliamentary decision also means that Anies Baswedan, a leading government critic, will also not be able to run for the influential position of Jakarta governor.

The Indonesian government is also trying to find a way around the Constitutional Court’s decision to uphold the current 30-year minimum age limit for candidates, which would bar Mr Widodo’s 29-year-old son Kaesang Pangarep from running in the central region.

Mr Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is the incoming vice president and is running with Mr Prabowo.

Observers say a power struggle between Indonesia’s parliament and the Constitutional Court, dominated by Widodo supporters, could trigger a political crisis.

But Mr Widodo played down the controversy, saying the amendments were part of the government’s “checks and balances”.

One of the protesters, Joko Anwar, said the country’s leaders seemed bent on staying in power.

“Ultimately, we will become a bunch of powerless objects, even though we are the ones who gave them power,” he said.

“We have to take to the streets. We have no choice,” he said.

On social media, a blue poster with the words “Emergency Warning” written above Indonesia’s symbolic national eagle was widely shared.

Titi Angleni, an election analyst at the University of Indonesia, said parliament’s move to annul the court ruling was unconstitutional.

“This is a robbery of the constitution,” she told BBC Indonesian.