JakartaPost-June 18
A recent Constitutional Court ruling ordering a legislative election revote in Gorontalo may set the precedent for parties to fulfill the 30 percent minimum quota for women’s representation in elections. On June 6, the court ruled in favor of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) over its petition requesting a revote for the Gorontalo Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) election in two regencies, because four big- and mid-sized parties failed to meet the minimum quota of 30 percent for female candidates in the February poll. The four parties, each of which had female candidates making up just 27 percent the final candidate list (DCT), were the Gerindra Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the NasDem Party and the Democratic Party. The court gave the Gorontalo General Elections Commission (KPUD) 45 days, or until mid-July, to hold the revote. It also ordered the parties to revise their candidate list to fulfill the 30 percent minimum quota for female candidates, Justice Saldi Isra read out the ruling during a hearing on June 6. Should the four parties fail to include more women candidates, the Gorontalo KPUD must disqualify them from the revote in the Gorontalo 6 electoral district, which covers Boalemo and Pahuwato regencies. Saldi asserted that in future elections, the poll body must order all political parties to revise their candidate roster if they are found to have not fulfilled the 30 percent quota for female candidates. If they still fail to do so after receiving a warning, the KPU should disqualify the party from the poll in the election districts where they failed to meet the quota. Responding to the ruling, KPU commissioner Idham Kholik said the poll body would adhere to the court’s order and make sure to watch closely the minimum quota for female candidates. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/06/18/revote-ruling-offers-hope-for-womens-representation.html.
