PSI Strongly Rejects Petition to Bar Presidential Families from Running: Discriminatory!
JAKARTA — Ahmad Ali, daily chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), has stated that his party strongly rejects a petition filed with the Constitutional Court (MK) seeking to ban families of the sitting President and Vice President from participating in presidential elections.
According to Ali, the petition is highly discriminatory. Nevertheless, he said, PSI respects the petitioner’s right to challenge the regulation.
“There must be no discrimination under the law, so PSI strongly opposes discriminatory treatment. But on the other hand, we respect the right of those testing the article,” Ali said when met in Klender, East Jakarta, Friday evening (27 February 2026).
He reminded that no person in the world chooses who gives birth to them. Therefore, whether they are the child of a president, vice president, or farmer, all possess equal opportunity and rights.
“Yes, that is the petitioner’s right. What is important is that the state must protect all rights of Indonesian citizens. No child born on this earth chooses whose child they will be. So all children’s rights, all society’s rights must be protected by the state,” he added.
In their petition, the applicants requested that the Constitutional Court prohibit relatives by blood or marriage of the sitting president or vice president from nominating themselves as presidential or vice-presidential candidates.
The applicants argued that Article 169 of the Election Law, which does not regulate conflict-of-interest restrictions, has the potential to open the door to nepotism and abuse of power in elections. They also contended that such conditions could negate the principles of a democratic rule of law and citizens’ rights to obtain fair and integral elections.
In their petition, the applicants requested that the Constitutional Court declare Article 169 of the Election Law to be contrary to the 1945 Constitution insofar as it is not interpreted to mean that nominations for president and vice president must be free from conflicts of interest stemming from family relationships with the sitting president or vice president.
Gibran, son of Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), was elected Vice President for the 2024-2029 term.