Golkar: 30% Female Candidate Quota Sanction Not an Issue

Golkar Deputy Chairman Ahmad Doli Kurnia said the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling imposing disqualification sanctions on political parties failing to meet the 30% female candidate quota for legislative elections is not an issue. ‘So far, no political party has failed to comply with this rule. All parties field at least 30% female candidates,’ Doli told Kompas.com on Wednesday (27 May 2026). He added the MK ruling essentially strengthens affirmative action for women’s representation in the DPR. Doli noted the key difference after the ruling is the imposition of sanctions on parties not adhering to the rule. Previously, the MK partially granted a material test petition regarding Article 245 of Law No. 7 of 2017 on Elections concerning female representation in legislative candidacies. The ruling was read by MK Chief Suhartoyo during a hearing at the MK building in Jakarta on Monday (25 May 2026). In the ruling, the MK declared Article 245 of the Election Law unconstitutional unless interpreted to mean that political parties can be disqualified in specific electoral districts if they fail to meet the 30% minimum female candidate requirement. In its legal reasoning, Constitutional Judge Adies Kadir stated the need to clarify political parties’ obligation to field at least 30% female candidates. According to Adies, this clarification is necessary to reduce discrimination against women’s representation in the DPR and DPRD through a fair electoral mechanism.