Prabowo-Gibran Defense Team Confident Constitutional Court Will Uphold Gibran's VP Candidacy

Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the head of Prabowo-Gibran's defense team, expressed confidence that the Constitutional Court will not disqualify Gibran Rakabuming Raka's vice presidential candidacy, despite acknowledging that the ruling on lowering the age requirement was problematic and legally flawed.

Mahendra argues that the nomination of Gibran and Prabowo Subianto is a package deal, and if one is invalidated, the other would also be disqualified.

The legal teams of losing candidates Anies Baswedan, Muhaimin Iskandar, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md have filed lawsuits with the Constitutional Court, arguing that Gibran's candidacy is procedurally flawed as it does not comply with the age requirement set by the amended election law. The General Elections Commission (KPU) has been accused of repeatedly breaching ethics in accepting Gibran's nomination without creating a new regulation.

Why this matters: The Constitutional Court's upcoming decision on the election dispute will be a critical juncture for Indonesia's democratic future. The ruling will test the foundations of Indonesia's legal state, including democracy, human rights, and the separation of powers.

Mahendra believes that the lawsuit against Gibran's candidacy will be rejected, as the Constitutional Court hearing has a "dramatic element" and the palace has released ministers called by the court, indicating confidence in the lawsuit's rejection. He predicts that the court's decision will be 5-6 judges rejecting the lawsuit, based on the previous case of the presidential-vice presidential age lawsuit in 2023.

Prabowo, the president-elect, has urged his supporters to cancel a planned protest on Friday and respect the ongoing legal process at the Constitutional Court. The Prabowo-Gibran National Campaign Team (TKN) has also asked supporters, volunteers, and organs that support the pair not to hold any actions when the court reads out the decision. The TKN has deployed a task force to monitor and prevent Prabowo-Gibran supporters from taking any actions.

In the final stage of the hearing, the parties involved have the opportunity to submit written conclusions as a last chance to convince the judges. The eight constitutional judges are currently engaged in judicial deliberation meetings and are expected to announce their verdict by April 22, 2024. Analysts expect the court to uphold the official results of the KPU, which declared Prabowo and Gibran as the winning pair in the February 14 election.

Key Takeaways

• Prabowo-Gibran defense team is confident of Gibran's VP candidacy not being disqualified.
• The losing candidates filed lawsuits arguing Gibran's candidacy is procedurally flawed.
• The Constitutional Court's decision will test Indonesia's democracy, rights, and separation of powers.
• Prabowo urges supporters to cancel the protest and respect the ongoing legal process at the court.
• Analysts expect the court to uphold the KPU's official results declaring Prabowo-Gibran as winners.