NasDem Confident that the Election Law Challenged in the Constitutional Court Will Not Perpetuate Nepotism

Two Indonesian citizens have filed a lawsuit against the Election Law and requested the Constitutional Court (MK) to prohibit family members of the President or Vice President from running as presidential or vice-presidential candidates. NasDem is confident that the current Election Law does not perpetuate nepotism.

“In my opinion, the rules in the current Election Law embody modern democracy and do not perpetuate nepotism at all,” said NasDem Secretary-General Hermawi Taslim to reporters on Thursday (26/2/2026).

He respects the lawsuit filed by the public. Hermawi stated that every citizen has the right to file a lawsuit.

“The MK judges are statesmen; let them decide how urgent the substance of the lawsuit is for the interests of Indonesian democracy,” explained Hermawi.

Previously, citizens named Raden Nuh and Dian Amalia filed a lawsuit against the Election Law with the Constitutional Court (MK). They requested the MK to prohibit family members (by blood or marriage) of the President or Vice President from running as presidential and/or vice-presidential candidates.

Based on the official MK website on Wednesday (25/2/2026), the lawsuit was registered with case number 81/PUU-XXIV/2026. The two are suing Article 169 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections.

The petitioners requested the MK to:

• declare Article 169 of the Election Law as conflicting with the 1945 Constitution and not having binding legal force unless it is interpreted that the requirements for presidential and/or vice-presidential candidates must be free from conflicts of interest arising from family relations (by blood or marriage) with the President and/or Vice President who is currently in office during the same term of office.