Indonesian Parliament cancels plans to review election laws

Indonesian legislators have cancelled plans to ratify revisions to election laws, the deputy speaker of parliament says after thousands of people protested in front of the parliament building.

Parliament was preparing to reverse a Constitutional Court order over candidate age requirements for upcoming regional polls, superseding a ruling that had made President Joko Widodo’s youngest son, 29-year-old Kaesang Pangarep, ineligible.

If implemented, the changes could have further enhanced the political influence of the outgoing president but critics said the changes were aimed at installing a political dynasty.

But with thousands of protesters outside parliament, legislators said they had delayed an emergency session and later deputy speaker said the proposed changes would be dropped for this election period in an apparent U-turn.

Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, told reporters after the clashes that it was officially decided that the revision of the Regional Election Law could not proceed.