After Constitutional Court Ruling on Regional Elections, Irman Gusman Calls for Improving Democratic Quality

The Constitutional Court (MK) ruling Number 195/PUU-XXIV/2026, which upholds direct regional head elections, is seen as a crucial affirmation of electoral legitimacy in Indonesia’s democratic system. All stakeholders are now being urged to end procedural debates and shift focus towards improving the quality of democratic governance.

Former DPD RI Speaker Irman Gusman assessed that the prolonged debate over the mechanism for electing regional heads has drained the nation’s energy. He argued that the fundamentals of democracy at the regional level are often neglected.

“The MK ruling is an affirmation of electoral legitimacy. However, our larger agenda is far more urgent: how this legitimacy is translated into effective, accountable, and pro-people governance. Without a strong institutional foundation, direct regional elections are merely rituals that do not guarantee welfare,” Irman stated on Monday (6/7).

The West Sumatra senator emphasised that Indonesia’s democracy currently requires a paradigm shift. He warned that focusing solely on electoral procedures would leave Indonesian democracy “procedurally strong, yet substantively weak.”

“We must move towards governance democracy. It is not enough to just ensure the people have the right to vote; we must guarantee that the political system produces leaders of integrity and a government that works effectively for the public interest,” he stressed.

Irman expressed hope that the momentum following the Constitutional Court’s decision would end procedural debates and unite all elements of the nation to focus on enhancing the substantive quality of democracy.