Cross-ministerial team to review MK's election decision

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government has established a cross-ministerial team to study and analyze the recent Constitutional Court (MK) ruling that mandates national and regional elections be held separately, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated.

According to Hadi, the government must consider several aspects of the MK ruling carefully.

"The State Secretary and the Home Affairs Ministry bear the responsibility for the elections. Meanwhile, along with the Ministry of Law, we established a team to study the recent Constitutional Court ruling, as it has some implications for us to consider," he remarked on Tuesday (July 1).

The minister revealed that the study's results would be submitted to President Prabowo Subianto while awaiting further directions from him.

Nonetheless, he emphasized that the government respects MK's decision.

"Institutionally, we respect the Constitutional Court's decision," Hadi stated.

On June 26, the MK ruled that national and regional elections (pemilu) must be held separately, with a minimum gap of two years or a maximum of two years and six months.

National elections include choosing members of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Regional Representative Council (DPD), and the president and vice president.

Regional elections involve electing members of the Provincial House of Representatives (DPRD), district/city DPRD, and regional heads and deputies.

On a separate occasion, DPR Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said his side is reviewing MK's decision on separately holding national and regional elections, together with the government and civil society organizations.

"We had conducted a brainstorming with the government, attended by the Minister of Law, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of State Secretary, the General Elections Commission (KPU), NGO, DPR Commission II, Commission III, and other related stakeholders (to discuss this matter)," Ahmad noted.