Constitutional Court Ready To Process Judicial Review On regional Elections Bill

Jakarta, Sept 26 (Antara) - The Constitutional Court (MK) is ready to process the judicial review of the newly-passed Regional Election bill, Chairman Hamdan Zoelva said here on Friday. "We are ready to process all the appeals made to the Constitutional Court," Hamdan said in a short text message to Antara. The Regional Elections bill that was approved by the House of Representatives (DPR) on Friday was immediately challenged in the Constitutional Court. According to the bill, all regional elections in Indonesia will be indirect elections where only the Members of Parliament will be allowed to appoint the head of a region. "I will apply for a judicial review on the Election Law. On Monday (September 29), I will register the request in the court," Muhammad Andi Asrun, a member of the legal team of the applicant, stated here on Friday. Asrun pointed out that he represented the applicant`s team, which comprised 17 daily laborers, pollsters, governors, and members of the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD). "Indirect regional head elections betrayed the people`s right to choose their regional leaders in a democratic manner," he noted. He remarked that the elections through the DPRD can have dire effects as it could encourage money power in Parliament. "The regional election law has been endorsed, but the government has not implemented the regional autonomy yet. Apparently, the legislative still wants decentralization of power," Asrun remarked. The DPR, after a long debate during a plenary session early on Friday, finally decided through voting to endorse a bill on indirect regional head elections. The plenary session was held to arrive at a decision on the bill. "The results of the ballot showed that 135 DPR members voted for direct regional head elections while 361 voted against it," DPR Deputy Chairman Priyo Budi Santoso, who chaired the plenary session, stated early on Friday. During the voting, several house faction members voted against their party`s stance. Eleven Golkar Party faction members voted in favor of direct regional head elections and 73 voted against it. A total of 88 legislators of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction voted in favor of direct elections. Fifty five members of the Prosperous Justice Party faction and forty four members of the National Mandate Party faction voted for indirect elections. There were 33 members from the United Development Party who favored the elections through the DPRD, while 20 legislators from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction wanted direct elections. The Greater Indonesia Movement Party`s (Gerindra`s) 22 faction members decided to vote for indirect elections. Ten legislators from the People`s Conscience Party (Hanura) faction voted for direct elections. Six members of the Democratic Party (PD) voted in support of holding direct regional head elections.