PSI Responds to Constitutional Court Challenge on Presidential Succession: All Citizens Should Be Treated Equally
PANDEGLANG, KOMPAS.com - The daily chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), Ahmad Ali, has spoken out regarding the lawsuit filed with the Constitutional Court (MK) to prevent the children of the current President and Vice President from running for president or vice president.
Ali stated that both the children of the President and Vice President, as well as ordinary citizens such as farmers, should be treated equally, without any discrimination.
According to Ali, a person never chooses who they are born to.
“This thesis has been tested by the MK before, regarding the issue of corruption, collusion, and nepotism after the Reformasi era. The DPR once created a law about corruption involving family members of officials, including nephews, children, and so on, but it was later overturned by the MK. Therefore, in this regard, I believe the court already has a legal precedent that equality for all people, all human beings, must be upheld before the law,” Ali said in Pandeglang, Banten, on Thursday evening (February 26, 2026).
Ali emphasized that everyone has the same rights, including the right to be elected or to vote.
However, Ali also respects the parties who filed the lawsuit with the MK, as they may need clarification or legal protection.
“We also respect the rights of all citizens who filed the lawsuit. But on the other hand, this is a fundamental human right,” Ali added.
The petition is registered under number 81/PUU-XXIV/2026.
In the petition, the petitioners request that the MK prohibit family members of the current President or Vice President from running for president or vice president.
The petitioners argue that Article 169 of the Election Law, which does not regulate the prohibition of conflicts of interest, has the potential to create opportunities for nepotism and abuse of power in elections.
They also argue that this condition could negate the principles of a democratic state of law and the right of citizens to have fair and transparent elections.
As an example, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the son of the current President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), ran for and was elected as Vice President for the 2024-2029 term.
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