Independent candidates barred from polls

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday against a possibility for independent candidates to contest regional elections, saying it would discourage efforts to help political parties mature.

In its verdict, the court judges unanimously agreed that Law No. 32/2004 on regional administrations was consistent with the Constitution in requiring candidates to win support from parties in order to vie for top executive posts in regencies, municipalities and provinces.

The ruling was passed at the expense of the Freedom Bull Nationalist Party (PNBK) and Regional Representative Council member Biem Benjamin.

In its motion, PNBK said the law was unconstitutional, especially due to article 59, section 2, which says that candidates for governors or regents be nominated by a political party that has at least 15 percent of the seats in the respective local legislature, or had secured at least 15 percent of the popular votes in the previous election.

The court hearing was presided over by deputy Constitutional Court chief Laica Marzuki, representing chairman Jimly Asshiddiqie, who is currently in Moscow.

The verdict was unanimously agreed upon in an earlier meeting on May 19 attended by chairman Asshiddiqie as well as judges Laica Marzuki, H.A.S. Natabaya, Achmad Roestandi, Harjono, Mukthie Fadjar, I Dewa Gede Palguna and Maruarar Siahaan.

In a separate session, the court rejected a request filed by DPD lawmaker Biem Benjamin for a revision of the same law, which prevented him from running for governor last year.

But Biem said the verdict would not discourage him.

"Hopefully, the political system in Indonesia will change in the future," Biem, a son of the late comedian Benjamin, told reporters. He added that he had not considered joining another political party so they could nominate him. (004)