JAKARTA – On August 22, Indonesian lawmakers adjourned a key meeting as widespread protests—both online and in the streets—broke out against proposed electoral changes that would benefit the political alliance of President Joko Widodo and his successor, Prabowo Subianto.
The meeting was called off as demonstrators pledged to gather in large numbers. Central Jakarta saw at least 3,200 police personnel deployed across the city, prepared for potential clashes.
The protests were sparked after a legislative panel rushed through draft legislation on August 21 that would counter a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court. The court had upheld age limits and protections for smaller political parties to ensure their participation in upcoming regional elections in November.
The backlash has been fierce, with celebrities joining the movement by sharing “emergency warning” memes on social media, alongside the hashtag #KawalPutusanMK, calling for the defense of the court’s ruling, which many see as supporting Indonesia’s young democracy.
The planned legislative changes would allow Mr. Widodo’s youngest son, aged 29, to run for regional deputy governor and set new thresholds that could allow Mr. Widodo’s and Mr. Prabowo’s allies to run virtually uncontested in key regions like Central Java and Jakarta.
However, the plenary meeting was postponed due to a lack of quorum, with PDI-P, the country’s largest party, boycotting the session. They plan to file a formal objection to the proposed legislation, which must pass before the July 26 deadline for nominations in November’s regional elections.
The political turmoil also rattled Indonesian markets. The benchmark stock index fell as much as 1%, while the rupiah weakened by 0.5% against the US dollar, making it one of the worst-performing Asian currencies on the day.
President Widodo sought to downplay the situation in a televised address, stating, “We respect the authority and decisions of each state institution… This is a constitutional process that usually happens in our state institutions.”
However, the Labour Party, led by Said Iqbal, announced plans for mass protests across the country in response to the proposed electoral law revisions. Many see this crisis as a critical test for Indonesia’s democracy. Former Vice-President Jusuf Kalla warned of potential political and economic instability if the government does not navigate the situation carefully.