PKB Faction Respects Constitutional Court Ruling on Direct Regional Elections, Calls for Continued Democratic Reform

Eka Widodo, also known as Edo, a member of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), has responded to the Constitutional Court’s decision that local elections (Pilkada) must continue to be conducted directly.

The legislator from the National Awakening Party (PKB) stated that his faction respects the Constitutional Court’s ruling, noting that the decision is final and binding. “We respect the Constitutional Court’s decision as it is final and binding. In a state governed by law, the Court’s decision must serve as a reference for all state organisers,” Edo said on Wednesday, 1 July 2026.

Nevertheless, he assessed that this ruling does not mean that efforts to improve democracy should cease. This is because the lawsuit seeking to prevent direct local elections was filed to curb money politics and increase political cost efficiency.

“That discourse emerged in response to high political costs, the prevalence of money politics, social polarisation, and the high number of regional heads involved in corruption cases,” he explained. “Therefore, this debate is part of the effort to find the best democratic design for Indonesia,” he added.

Although the Constitutional Court rejected the lawsuit, Edo stated that all parties must continue to improve the governance of clean regional administration. The ruling, Number 195/PUU-XXIV/2026, was read by the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Suhartoyo, at the Constitutional Court Building in Central Jakarta on Monday (29/6/2026). The Court affirmed that it would not accept the challenge against Article 1, point 1 of Law Number 8 of 2015 concerning the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors.