Democratic Party Responds to Legal Challenge Seeking to Bar Presidential Family Members from Running
The Democratic Party has stated that it respects the judicial review petition filed with the Constitutional Court challenging Law Number 7 of 2017 on General Elections. The petition requests that the Constitutional Court prohibit blood relatives of a sitting president or vice president from candidacy in similar electoral contests.
Democratic Party Secretary-General Herman Khaeron stated that the party fully defers to the Constitutional Court’s decision on the petition filed by two lawyers, Raden Nuh and Dian Amalia.
“If citizens wish to file a lawsuit, this is the right of every citizen,” said Herman at the Complex of the House of Representatives, Regional Representative Council, and People’s Consultative Assembly on Thursday, 26 February 2026.
In the petition, the applicants challenge the provisions of Article 169 of the Electoral Law, which specifies presidential and vice-presidential candidate requirements including Indonesian citizenship, no history of national betrayal, no criminal convictions, and other criteria.
The applicants argue that the requirements in Article 169 permit sitting presidents or vice presidents to nominate family members in subsequent elections.
The applicants contend that this provision violates the principle of legal objectivity and risks creating conditions where the law becomes an instrument for perpetuating family rule.
The applicants assert that the absence of restrictions on presidential relatives running for office in Article 169 of the Electoral Law violates the principle of the rule of law, which requires the state to limit power and prevent conflicts of interest.
The applicants note that in public law matters, conflicts of interest need not occur factually to be considered dangerous. “The mere potential or appearance of a conflict of interest is sufficient to undermine legal legitimacy,” stated the applicants in their petition.
The petition, filed on Tuesday, 24 February, has been registered with the Constitutional Court under case number 81/PUU-XXXIV/2026.